There's no arguing that there is an artistry in making records, but few bands realize all of the artistic possibilities that putting together and releasing an album affords. There are some conventions that many bands don't think to challenge – like how to design an album cover, for example. For many artists, an album cover is easy – take a picture, pick a typeface, slap the band's name in said typeface on said photo. Presto! Instant album cover. Not every band takes that prefabricated approach to art though; in fact, one could argue that the amount of time a group puts into its' album cover and the methodology by which they produce it it very indicative of their underlying psychology, which would also play a role in the music that the band in question makes as well.
For the sake of argument, take a look at the packaging for Glory Glory Man United's new album, ZOMBIES!!!. The digipack-styled album has been silk-screened in three colors (black, yellow and blue), both on the front and back covers, as well as the interior. What does this mean? Simply put, no two copies will be exactly the same; in the case of my review copy, the yellow portion is set slightly to the left of where it should be. Is that a problem? Not really, it just means that my copy – like all of the others produced, presumably – is unique; it's unlikely that there is another one just like it.
Somehow, that is very much in keeping with the spirit of the music that appears on the album too; no two tracks on the record exactly match up with each other, which proves to be an interesting experience as it plays out. ZOMBIES!!! opens with “Pop Sng Automation” and, with its' jagged and angular rhythm guitar figures and sonorous lead lines, instantly recalls Mission Of Burma but, unlike MOB, the band never lets its' muse off the leash; everything about “Pop Song Automation” remains very tightly tied to pop song structures as far as being very precise and controlled with fantastic vocal melodies, yet the instrumental performance, while still rock, is very much an expressionistic form as bits of guitar extend out of the mix momentarily and then retract. The same sort of principles apply to songs including the title track, “The First Monkey Shot Into Space,” “Mountain Town” and “Maintain Your Composure,” but the basics shift ever so slightly in each track to create a slightly different finished product each time. That slight phase in design ultimately changes the band; depending on the track, Glory Glory Man United sounds like the next great shoegaze band (“Congrats”), like the band that could usurp the title of “Greatest moody group in Canada” from The Constantines (“Maintain Your Composure,” “The Fish In The Water”) or the slightly more melodic little brothers of Sonic Youth (“Sun Don't Come Out”). Such slight alterations as those made here shouldn't change the focus of a band so dramatically, but that's exactly what happens here and the results are captivating because they're so mercurial.
Because of all those things, ZOMBIES!!! marks Glory Glory Man United as a band to watch in the coming months. This album and the directions it takes combined with the overall sound of it seem destined to attract the attention and favor of Constantines, Sonic Youth and Mission Of Burma fans, but the record is made all the more exciting by the fact that Glory Glory Man United is only getting started; what they do next is anyone's guess, but hopefully we won't have to wait long to find out.
Artist:
www.reverbnation.com/gloryglorymanunited
www.myspace.com/ggmu
Download:
Glory Glory Man United – “Pop Song Automation – ZOMBIES!!!
Album:
ZOMBIES!!! comes out on July 13, 2010 through Out Of Sound/Sound Of Pop Records. It is not yet available for pre-order on Amazon, so keep a look out!
