Flippin’ Out

GIGOLO AUNTS “Flippin’ Out” (Fire)

FAR FROM getting the old digestive juices flowing, the words ‘next’, ‘big’ and ‘thing’ used in close proximity tend to make my eyes glaze over faster than the prospect of watching the omnibus edition of Open University.

They may not be the future of rock ‘n’ roll but Boston’s Gigolo Aunts are certainly more deserving of the hype and column inches than most. Drawing on such predictably hip influences as The Byrds, Gram Parsons and Big Star but throwing enough of themselves into the equation to avoid being mere copyists, the Aunties (sorry!) are pop purists of the noblest breed with the unerring ability to come up with killer hooks every time they plug in their Fenders.

The even better news is that unlike close neighbours Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield, Gigolo Aunts don’t go in for the soppy part of the sixties’ deal and if a song needs a spot of aggression, hey, we’re talking busted limbs and bloody noses here!

This excuse-me-but-some-of-us-are-living-in-the-real-world philosophy is illustrated to perfect effect on ‘Cope’, a gloriously fucked-up tale of spurned love which is screaming vengeance one moment and willing to forgive all the next.

‘Bloom’ and the deceptively titled ‘Lullaby’ are infused with the same bittersweet tang while ‘Easy Reader’ is the closest Gigolo Aunts get to slacker territory, guitarist Phil Hurley working his fuzz-box overtime and Dave Gibbs emitting the sort of subsonic bass growl that makes Eddie Vedder sound like Aled Jones by comparison.

However grungey our goateed chums become, they never lose sight of the fact that noise is a pretty worthless commodity without melody and in ‘Figurine’, ‘Mrs. Washington’ and ‘Pin Cushion’, Gigolo Aunts conjure up three tracks that are capable of gaining them mainstream acceptance whilst leaving their cult credentials intact.

Going by recent interviews, they have no desire to remain ghettoised for the rest of their careers and if similar – though not identical - outfits like Soul Asylum and Blind Melon can go top 20, there’s no reason why Gibbs and Co. shouldn’t follow in their multi-platinum wake.

If one song encapsulates all that is honest and decent about Gigolo Aunts it has to be current single and BBC fave rave ‘Where I Find My Heaven’, a jingly-jangly three minute paean to life’s nicer moments which possesses what Hollywood movie moguls call the ‘feelgood factor’ in almost indecent abundance. If you could roll records up in Rizlas, this’d put a daft grin on your face for a month.

I’m still not convinced about this ‘next big thing’ lark but there’s no reason why Flippin’ Out shouldn’t make the Gigolos your favourite Aunties.

• Stuart Clark