Barbelith Underground > Radio & Music

So, I got hold of Grab That Gun by the Canadian 5-piece The Organ a few weeks ago after reading an interview with Katie Sketch in one of the Sunday supplements and enjoying her schtick. I think it’s great.
I love Sketch’s voice in much the same way that I love Morrissey’s. They don’t sound similar exactly (although the comparison becomes more obvious alongside the decidedly Marr-esque jangly guitar), but I get the same contradictory sense of restraint within what actually amounts to a relatively soaring sound. It’s an odd, tantalising but affecting combination.

The Smiths influence seems obvious in the lyrics also (“See the people sitting over there? / I long to kiss and touch them everywhere / Oh not because I really care / Oh god no I wouldn’t dare”), but the bass lines sound pure New Order and the percussion courtesy of Elastica. It’s a heady mix.

It’s hard to say exactly what I like about the album (which is why I find starting Music threads difficult), but a few things that I can easily relate do jump out. Firstly it’s a short album composed of short, sparse songs. Again, they seem to have captured The Smiths' ability to write songs that sound epic in 2 minutes flat.

It also sounds remarkably self-assured for the first album by a band which was formed before some members had learned to play their instruments. The first line on the first track of album is ‘Here we go’; the first line on track 2 is ‘As I was saying’. There’s just something ballsy and confident about the whole thing. It picks you up by the scruff of your neck right at the beginning, throws you around a bit and tosses you aside half an hour later. For me there are no particular stand-out tracks and no duds either. I picked it up with no great anticipation and must have listened to it 50 times since.

So, anyone else heard it? Like it?