Gauntlet Hair – Gauntlet Hair [LP]

by Sal Christ

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After more than a year since the release of their first single, “I Was Thinking,” a full-length album from Colorado’s own Gauntlet Hair has finally emerged on the Dead Oceans label, and it was well worth the wait. A cool nine tracks, the eponymous record is a perfect fit for Colorado’s autumn-disguised-in-summer fare with its Pop-ish, electronic-fueled sound.

In heavy rotation on every track of the album are guitar riffs reminiscent of ’60s surfer Rock and quirky-though-unintelligible vocals. Kicking things off is the upbeat and drum-driven “Keep Time,” a track that picks things up where “I Was Thinking” left off last year with the recognizable snare drum and boisterous reverb. Tapering off in terms of brightness and loudness as it progresses, the record ultimately finds a resting point with “Shout In Tongues.” However, songs such as “My Christ,” “Lights Out,” and “Showing,” are where the group finds solid ground – almost recalling Indie great Sonic Youth at times.

“Showing,” in particular, features a slightly darker sound complemented by steady percussion and the effects of a tambourine that give it a shimmery tone. Here, more so than anywhere else on the record, the musicians allow the music to speak for itself instead of blanketing everything with distortion. For a debut release, the guys of Gauntlet Hair have successfully created something that’s not only catchy and accessible, but also genre-less. While the album is overwhelmed at points by excessive usage of effects, it’s a standout record that begs the question: What will they come out with in the future?

MySpace.com/GauntletHair

GauntletHair.com

Category: A-Sides