Having already scooped the Aussie equivalent of the Choice Music Prize just a few short months ago for their debut record Bliss Release, happy-clappy Blue Mountain-based four-piece Cloud Control unveil their slab of wax to European audiences this month. And you know what? It’s a defiantly technicolour, distinctly widescreen Summer album full of charm, wit and invention that is definitely deserving of the many accolades it has already notched up.
Sounding a bit like a mix of The Shins, Talking Heads, The Polyphonic Spree, Modest Mouse and Jefferson Airplane, the opus is a sprawling, hook-heavy effort that harks back to the heady days of ‘60s acid pop while also remaining modern, shiny and new. The jangly, shimmering, calypso flavoured ‘There’s Nothing In The Water We Can’t Fight’ is the highlight of the ten track album and is pure power pop at its best, but the (slightly) funky stylings of ‘Just For Now’ and the space-rock tinged ‘Gold Canary’ are pretty special too.
In short: believe the hype.