The Passport Label releases the brilliantly uplifting Gold Canary by Cloud Control on February 22. Hailed as one of the most promising new bands in Australia after winning the Best New Artist prize at the Sydney Music, Arts and Culture Awards, Cloud Control have just finished recording their debut album which will be released by Ivy League Records (The Vines, Josh Pyke, Youth Group) in their home country, early in 2010.
With tribal chants travelling alongside steady percussion and then exploding with a cosmic breakdown, Gold Canary could very well be likened to David Byrne and Fela Kuti holding hands in space. The b-side, Vintage Books draws on inspiration from the great melody makers of our time, with inventive pop melodies and old-time girl/boy harmonies from an era when pop music was pure and, well, just made you smile.
Hailing from the picturesque Blue Mountains near Sydney, the band formed after performing together in the play The Pirates of Penzance. Made up of Alister Wright (guitar/lead vocals), Jeremy Kelshaw (bass) and siblings Heidi (keyboards/vocals) and Ulrich Lenffer (drums) they honed their sound when they recorded their first self-titled 6-track EP in 2007. Using all analog recording equipment gave each track a natural feel, harking back to a golden age of music. To record their debut full-length release, the band holed up in the mountains of Australia’s Megalong Valley. Wright says of the experience: “The Valley is an isolated place, nice to work in. There’s no town nearby, just properties. It can be inspirational.”
Cloud Control have already ventured to the shores of the UK, playing Brighton’s Great Escape in early 2009. Let’s hope they’ll be back soon for a full tour so that we can hear their stunning, original-yet-familiar sounds, live on stage. For now, sit back and enjoy Gold Canary, kicking off 2010 with what will no doubt be one of the catchiest, most enjoyable singles of the year.
“It’s alternately thrilling and new in its bricolage of simple, disparate elements from diverse sources… Gold Canary quickly assumes its place as one of the best Australian singles of the year.” – Mess and Noise
