Now Now / Threads

Now Now
Threads
(Trans Records)
*****
A stadium band in a scuzzy rock bands clothing, Now Now, a three piece from Minneapolis, have managed to produce one of the most ethereal guitar albums of the year so far.

'The Pull' blurs into 'Prehistoric', building up to a hands-in-the-air and summer fields kind of vibe. The peaks and troughs of 'Thread' dip and jump like an Echo and the Bunnymen record on a trampoline.

If big, out there riffs don't float your boat, keep well away. But this technique at making rock music is perfectly juxtaposed by the the romanticism of the female vocals. Always dreamy and just about there, lyrics of disatchment such as in 'Dead Oaks' (“I can't feel your bones but I can see them/I can't call you up without a reason”) flirt through slowly building guitars until the track stops too suddenly for you to realise that they've already moved into 'Oh, Hi', bashing you with its instrumental, wall of sound chorus.

The album only suffers from the fact it all gets a bit similar, but if something isn't broke, don't fix it. Heroic romanticism mixed with crowd friendly rock outs, what's not to like? Get Now Now, er, now.
Nicholas Burman