Posted on: August 16, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

(Great Society; August 19, 2008 – Vinyl/Digital)
(Great Society; September 9, 2008 – CD)

There are bands that sound good on stage, and there are bands that
sound good on record, and then there are the fortunate ones that s
ound good on both. With the full-length debut f, monday, orange,
february, venus, lunatic, 1 or 13, out September 9 (August 19 for
vinyl and digital) on Great Society, the Oklahoma-based Colourmusic
convincingly declare themselves to be a band of both persuasions,
already having proven themselves as an imposing live force, most
recently as support for British Sea Power on their Spring 2008 US
tour.

Check out the song “Put In a Little Gas” here:

With f, monday, orange, february, venus, lunatic, 1 or 13,
Colourmusic establish themselves as a group whose playfulness is
matched only by their clear understanding of what makes a good song,
a satisfying combination of originality, group harmonies, skilled
composing, and a refreshingly good-natured outlook on life.

There’s “Yes!,” of course, a track that has been featured on KCRW
and has already won over many a fan with its rollicking chorus, a
wild repetition that borders on recklessness and yet stays firmly
grounded in indie-rock melody, but there’s also the quirky heartland
rock of “The Gospel Song” and the crunchy driving bass of
“Put In a Little Gas.” “You Can Call Me By My Name” toys somewhere
between shoegaze and garage rock and “Spring Song” is nicely
inspired by British folk, each song comfortably its own while still
tying in to the greater whole.

There’s a concept behind the album — the relationships between
colour and notes and emotion, a modern take on Newton’s Colour
Theory — but this is not a concept album. Instead, f, monday, orange,
february, venus, lunatic, 1 or 13 is spawned from a collaboration
of good friends, strong hooks, and organically layered arrangements,
an album that’s both practiced and spontaneous, an album that captures
both the unadulterated passion found in Colourmusic’s incendiary
live show and their consummate musicianship. It’s a complete work,
one that truly shows off their unbridled energy and unbounded creativity,
a fully-realized portrait of what the band really is, which, when
it’s all said and done, ends up being much more than enough.

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