Giant Value
"Released!" CD
Self-released
Genre: indie pop
June 2006 |
I reviewed this bunch's On The Move album a
long while ago, and ever since I've been waiting with baited breath
for their next record. Well, this is album number four from the folks
(who knew they were so prolific?), and it's another batch of the
juicy, Shins-esque cutesy pop that endeared me to On The
Move. Sure, they're more polished and perhaps a little less naive
sounding, but for the most part this is Giant Value in all
their glory - and any adjustments they've made to their sound can only
be considered improvements. The major
elements of the Giant Value formula are undoubtedly the peppy
keyboards and the kidlike, Shins-cum-Of Montreal vocals,
which lend this record its cheerfulness and adorable naiveté. The
sound is, of course, further evened out with guitar, drums, and bass,
but Released! also adds on some other interesting instruments,
like trumpet and piano on four tracks, baritone horn on one, and a
glockenspiel on another. It's impossible to dispute the glory of peppy
pop tunes like "What The Story Said" and "Personality Dog," and even
the slower songs, like mysterious "A Tiny Ripple Far Asea" and
irresistible closer "Je Ne Sais Quoi," are surefire pleasers.
I really wish this band would get paid more
notice than they are; they've been putting out self-released gems for
half a decade and still they're complete unknowns. For fully
satisfying, adorable but not lame pop, track down Giant Value's
music right this moment.
MP3s (from giantvalue.net):
Into The Air,
Silver Screen,
Personality Dog
87%
Fun Fact: Giant
Value have apparently broken up, but two of their three members
have branched off to form another trio called Featherweight
Champion of the World.
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 12 tracks, 43:35
duration, distributed by
the band,
released Oct 1 2005] |