aaamusic | On 15, May 2011

Ladies, gentlemen, and members of the jury. We can officially announce the arrival of summer. Not only is yours truly wearing just the one t-shirt, but Two Spot Gobi have provided us with one of the early risers in that unmistakable race of hibernating creatures, the hazy sunny day pop album. But despite a promising sampler, ‘The Sun Will Rise’, as an album, feels like a task rather than a pleasure.

‘Simon’s Song’ kicks things off with a jangly acoustic guitar tune and heavily-echoing vocals. There is a bittersweet pop bounce somewhere here, but the chorus vocal refrain feels laboured in contrast with the sprightly instrumental parts, meaning neither quite hits home. At least ‘Guiding Star’, one of the sampler’s standouts, retains its shimmering charms. The tremolo guitar dances behind atmospheric strings and a much more impassioned vocal delivery. The stadium-friendly buildup to the big chorus, stomping drums and expansive mixing part and parcel of the affair, can’t fail to poke the hardest of hearts into a slight flutter even if the lyricism and songwriting in general is trite to a level formerly reached only by Snow Patrol at their sappiest. Likewise, ‘You Make It Easy’ keeps its laid-back appeal. Despite clichés spilling from every sonic oriface, there’s a heart somewhere here that bleeds through into tender melodies and accessible lyricism. The upbeat dance rhythm is accompanied beautifully by the finally well-executed horn sections and warm guitar strumming. ‘Try Again’ also blends in an almost bossa nova cool edge with a crackle of life in its chorus bursts, even if the indie pop saturates it too much to come to life.

‘I Remember’ will inevitably find its radio airplay. Anodyne cod-ska guitar riffs and hopskip melodies blend with dreamy romantic lyricism to create something that should sound like Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. covering The Cure’s ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, albeit with none of either’s edge or wit. And yes, the sterility of it all means that far from being the sum of its possible parts, this cut of slick, jazzed-up lounge indie pop dance feels as nebulous and uninteresting as that pile of genres that just sidled by awkwardly. Likewise, the quickfire verses of ‘Light On’ comes out garbled rather than urgent, and the rest of the track – despite an agile bassline to tantalise – meanders too much, failing to offer a spark to light up the smooth veneer. A bluesy guitar solo attempts some soul, and does briefly lift the track before an insipid trumpet/guitar/vocals moment drags us back to the chorus.

‘Tomorrow’, with Jason Mraz’ silken backing vocals, finally feels assured in accepting the slow tempo the band can’t help but fall into. Pillow-soft lush production furnishes a chillout jazz styled indie pop ballad, with the sounds of string sections and fingers upon acoustic guitar strings pressing an intimate setting onto the slightly artificial rhythm sounds. Follower ‘Everyone Will Know’ also seems to come to terms with Two Spot Gobi’s rather dawdling approach to tempo, however despite a sunny guitar chord/fingerpicking interplay and those ever-present brass caresses, the tone can’t help but feel like a tedious dirge given the limp delivery and throwaway lyricism about living together. I’m all for a loving world, but sincerely hope it’s not this uninteresting.

To close, ‘Outside’ pushes us off with an optimistic shimmer that, well, sounds much like everything that happened previously.

Call me fickle, but I’ve fallen out of love with Two Spot Gobi. Yes, they are without a doubt in possession of a gift when it comes to a hazy July day with heartbreak and a balmy dose of sunshine, but in its entirety, there’s just too little going on in ‘The Sun Will Rise’. Initially, you feel warmed by its tones and heart-on-sleeve scenarios, but by the middle of the album you can’t help but feel that what you’re listening to is lacking in any real lasting appeal, consisting of the same three middle of the road songs played on a loop with instrumentation that holds potential but never really come into their own.

Author: Katie H-Halinski