El Gato
We’re Birds
Motherload
Despite having been around since 1995, this is the first full-length release from this four-piece from Denton, Texas. With their peculiar and arresting brand of complex, lo-fi psychedelic indie pop, El Gato are one of the most exciting bands to watch these days, and this album is a truly remarkable achievement. Combining the anguished folk of Bright Eyes with the homemade pop of Kleenex Girl Wonder, El Gato have come up with an album of clever and subdued music that both explores and challenges the traditional concept of pop dynamics.
Moving from simple and haunting melodies, the album gains complexity and grandiosity as it moves along, with El Gato seemingly intent on producing the Pet Sounds for the Y generation. And if they’re not quite there yet, this is still a stunning album, impressive in scope and even more so in execution and sense of both detail and overview. Fans of everyone from The Byrds to The Flaming Lips will find something of interest here – on “Winter” they even come across like a psychedelic Stone Roses – and El Gato have made a beautiful and intense album, full of lilting melodies and strange twists and turns. Brilliant and understated.
El Gato: http://www.elgatomusic.com
