NOW OUT IN THE US! Why is NO ONE buzzing on this band. Case In Point - the sounds of the songs below - the whole album is every bit as great as these samplings are. Super-group Gramercy Arms features members of Joan As Police Woman, Guided By Voices and The Dambuilders - enough to draw in anyone with an ear for the New York indie scene. Toss in backing vocals from anti-pc comedienne, Sarah Silverman, and a fleeting appearance from Nada Surf`s Matthew Caws, and you`re left asking whether the band were deliberately assembled or just recklessly thrown together from the patrons of a New York VIP lounge. "Despite all the cooks, the broth still tastes pretty sweet. Gramercy Arms` self-titled album is pleasing, varied, and above all, perfectly timed. With its breezy, cloud-watching ambience, it`s the perfect album to take the edge of the summer`s heat. With its charming use of hand-claps, smile-spreading choruses, and bah-bahing backing vocals, it might even provide a timely tonic for credit crunch worries." - BBC. "The record is about as pure as pop can get - some Byrdsy/Gram Parsons guitar accents, sweet Brian Wilson harmonies, an easy tempo, and about forty pounds of sunshine in every song. It is a 1970s AM radio dreamlike the band America, but sans corny lyrics. Unlike other famous indie collective/supergroups (Broken Social Scene; New Pornographers, e.g.), Gramercy Arms is not trying to rule the world. Or even change it. Rather than creating an artistic work comparable to the work of their host bands, this collective just got together to make some great pop. Kind of like an indie Travelling Willburys. In my view, it works better when a vast array of talented folks focus on something simple never really worked for me, because few of the songs gelled. Here, the musicians all work together well, and the remarkable thing is, they are doing original compositions.
If your curiosity is not piqued by the thought of talented folks making happy music (particularly the usually melancholy Joe Pernice), then this definitely is not an album for you. But if you are looking for a half an hour of joy, check it out."- Berkeley Place. What a great `n cool find - do not let this one pass you by!
 Song #1 - mp3
Song #2 - mp3
Song #3 - mp3
Song #4 - mp3
Song #5 - mp3
| 
