If we were [a]Gauntlet Hair[/a], we’d be pretty sick of people comparing us to [a]Animal Collective[/a] by now. Does every new, interesting band really have to suffer that fate? Sure, GH singer Andy R sounds a touch like Avey Tare (then again, stick that much reverb on a vocal and so might Tom Waits), but it’s pretty obvious that this blogtastic Denver duo are way more in thrall to the West Coast than the East; Abe Vigoda, HEALTH and No Age’s noise-pop inform the best parts of this fine debut LP, rendering it a swirling headfuck of manic energy mixed with blissed-out melody. Also, any band that tells Pitchfork to “suck our medieval, hairy, wizard dicks” is more than alright by us.
Rob Webb