Skivan Arkiv - Transister

Gary Clark and Eric Pressly did not sell enough records with their band King L and when they were kicked out of the record company they sat down at Eric's girl friend, Keely Hawkes (daughter of Chip Hawkes from The Tremeloes) to think. That resulted in a bunch of songs that Eric brought home to LA. One tape ended up at a friend of a friend on a radio station.

It is not surprising that short thereafter some record companies began showing interest. The mix of Scotland (Clark), USA (Pressly) and UK (Hawkes) on the debut seems like a given success, because it sounds as much like Sneaker Pimps as it sounds like Garbage. In other words it has everything from distorted guitars, dull beats and heavy walls to beautiful, airy guitars and brittle melodies with Keely's sometimes light, whispering and girlish, sometimes breathy, nasal changing and strong voice in center. Many tracks are potentially singles. 'Weather Boy,' 'What You Are,' 'Day #1' and the introductory 'Look Who's Perfect Now' are all strong productions. The mix of a drop of trip hop hidden behind soft intros, which evolves into fat walls of guitar explosions with lovely refrains, is perfect. Solid songs with decorating samples and breaks built around Clark's genial guitar play, suddenly slows down, breaks and becomes something completely different for a moment before it, just as unexpectedly, gets back again to the guitars.

'Head' which has the highest content of synth and effects on the record could be a real Daybehavior with Paulinda Crescentini and everything, if it had not been for the guitars. And 'Stars Collide' has more surprises than I ever could describe here. Listen...

'I saw Red' and particularly the last track 'Flow' are dreamy productions with great depth. The acoustic and incredibly beautiful electrical guitar tunes echoes out in space where Keely float. And she alternates between sounding a bit like Harriet Wheeler in the latter and Stina Nordenstam with, in the background, Clark, who with his own voice brings another dimension, in the first I can simply not neglect the similarities between Clark and Neil Halstead here. It is as if they were one and the same person. Imagine bringing them together!

To say it once for all: The guitar play on this record is a pure masterpiece. Clark has played in several bands, among others Danny Wilson and the mentioned King L. He figures everywhere on Lauren Christy's album 'Breed' and has composed a lot together and to other well-known artists and bands.

"Credit where credit is due" one uses to say, and Transister with Clark, Pressly and Hawkes, is going to get credit. That is for sure...

Smakprov

Traslated from Swedish by P.E. Ervasti.

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