What can I possibly say about the new Mazes album that a thousand other bloggers won't say this week? What rave of Wooden Aquarium -- available from Fat Cat Records on either Monday or Tuesday depending on which continent you're on -- do you want to hear from me?
Do you want me to sing again the praises of the Television-meets-Feelies rush of "Astigmatism"?
Or how about I tell you about the more sinister "Salford" with its nods in the direction of Anita Lane and Nick Cave by way of Queens of the Stone Age?
(Well, "Salford" is one of the cuts on the record that's pretty hard to describe!)
Or maybe you want me to write about the chiming Byrds-isms of "It Is What It Is"? You want me to tell you how this cut is like the most catchy tune that the Rain Parade never recorded?
Well, perhaps you need me to tell you how perfect "Explode into Colo(u)rs" is? Need me to tell ya that it's hypnotic and alluring like some weird Opal/Delgados love child?
I could tell you that "Vapour Trails" and "Ripp" blend trippy Nuggets-era hooks with modern ideas of songcraft.
And then I could alert you to the Dream Syndicate-ish licks of "Letters Between U&V" and tell you how the riffs are mean and lean and cool.
Or I could write you some descriptions of "Mineral Springs" and "Stamford Hill" that clued you in on the fact that these tracks were like early Let's Active and R.E.M. filtered through a Brit indie pop sensibility.
And I could hip you to the Camper Van Beethoven-like "Universal Me" and then finish up my review with a mention of how "The Third Ridge" closes the album with a slow-burn number that sounds suspiciously like the best tracks from George Harrison's part of the Beatles circa 1968.
Should I do all those things? Should I write some long flowery descriptions of these 11 cuts? Should I spend a day looking for the right comparisons for the perfect indie pop on Wooden Aquarium and so name-drop more bands like The Velvet Underground and The Modern Lovers and early Talking Heads?
No. What would save you and me a lot of time would be if you just got Wooden Aquarium from Mazes as soon as humanly possible.
If you are in the USA, click here.
If you are in the UK, click here.
