Friday 7 March 2014

The Griswolds - Red Tuxedo

Single review by soul1@thesoundofconfusion.com


We reviewed the 'Heart Of a Lion' EP from Sydney quintet The Griswolds back in December 2012, so well over a year ago. But the band have gained much momentum since then and are rightly keen to get these songs spread a little further. Who in their right mind can resist something as lovely as 'Red Tuxedo'? It may appear simple on the surface, consisting of plucked guitar and vocals and little else, but the melodies drip down from on high, and the harmonies are absolute perfection. Think The Beach Boys at their best and you're getting close in style. The track does build a bit, adding a beat and some strings for a brief moment, but it's those gorgeous vocals that make it, not to mention the sweet lyrics.

All of this is over and done with in two minutes, so it leaves you wanting more, but then that's what the best songs should do. The track now has a video too, and it's difficult to take your eyes off. The work of Kris Merc and Project Fathom, the uncluttered animation shows different images, mostly faces, morphing into each other. Some of these appear to be generic; they're nobody in particular, but as they turn from one to another we get Star Wars characters, Lego men, logos for Playboy and Hello Kitty, Batman, vampires, Ghostbusters, Illuminati symbols... the list goes on so we won't ruin it for you. Having mentioned in the past that bands chucking out animated videos had gone beyond the point of saturation (in fact, I personally stopped watching for a while and just listened to the music while doing something else), it's delightful to find an animated promo that's original and such entertaining viewing with it. Full marks all round.





The Griswolds' website

Buy the EP

Catch them live:

Apr 04 The Zoo - Supporting St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
Apr 06 Oxford Art Factory - Supporting St Lucia, Sydney, Australia
Apr 08 Corner Hotel - Supporting St Lucia, Melbourne, Australia
Jun 19 Firefly Festival, Dover, DE





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