EARL GREY AND CROQUET - review added 11th October 2010
Album Review: From The 21st Century (2010)
For fans of: Alt Rock... and posh tea & garden sports
South Africa is not a place that immediately springs to mind when you think of rock bands. There are certainly a number from the country, but - as far as I am aware - they have so far all passed me by. The classily named Earl Grey And Croquet - Laurie Sloan on vocals and guitar, Dan Millar on bass, Chris Smith on guitar, and Jonny Smith on drums - therefore serve to introduce me.
The band's sound is a relaxed take on the leftfield world of light rock, experimental pop and indie, all mixed with a few bars of jazz. The album is full of pleasant, inoffensive tracks featuring competent performances across the board.
Whilst "From The 21st Century" is very likeable, it isn't massively exciting. I don't want to say anything particularly negative about it because there's a positive vibe flowing through the album's veins...and although there isn't a lot of fire to the sound I suspect this mellow pleasantness is exactly the effect the band wanted.
The songs throughout "From The 21st Century" are good and...well, it's hard to know what else to say. I'm uninspired by the album, but that probably says more about my tastes than the music. I suggest you check Earl Grey And Croquet out for yourself and pass your own judgment. I can imagine this release having a lot of appeal in some quarters.
Check out... All of it, if you fancy relaxing in a big way.
Track List:
01. Pappa Was A School Boy
02. Lady Luck
03. Is This Love
04. Hard Pill
05. The Circus
06. Learning Line
07. D G
Artist's website(s): Earl Grey And Croquet | MySpace | Facebook
