Giant Day are the latest band to come out of the Elephant 6 Collective and are a duo of Emily Growden and Derek Almstead who between them have been in Marshmallow Coast, Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System and Ex-Of Montreal among others. The album was recorded at the duo's farm in Pennsylvania.
The A-side opens with I Can Take It slowly building into a gauzy indie pop song with the keyboards leading us into Giant Day's world, making sure we know They Can Take It some more as long as they can think of you.
Ignore The Flood has a slightly askew construction that seems in places to be built around All Along The Watchtower had it been strained through Blue Oyster Cult, Emily's vocals bewitch, drawing you deep within the bands world.
Vacation uses subtle glockenspiel flourishes under the guitar and drum backing, highlighting dislocation at the heart of Derek's vocals, he tries to avoid one more pointless fight.
Walk With A Shadow has dark slightly paranoid edged vocals, synths swirl as you keep noticing that shadow. Overtone feels like it wants to encourage wallflowers to start moving to the funky guitar line, a trip to town seems imminent.
The B-Side Suspended Animation is like your stuck and can't move on in any meaningful way, the outside world has become far too scary, you retreat into yourself, close production percussion adds to the tension, Emily's vocals get higher they seem more fraught, the filter synth breakdown adding tones of impending danger with the bassline almost a footstep into the unknown.
Fair Dues have you paid yours, will the ferryman accept them and let you in, or are you about to be cast down there, with any luck Emily will make sure you can stay together, the music has touches of Belle & Sebastian and Stereolab.
We Were Friends so much so that Derek knows he tried to corrupt you, much like you did him, but these days he doesn't even remember what you looked like, lives change you move on, but still flashes of the magical moments when you were on the same wave length are discussed, among an insistent guitar line, semi-romantic strings, most of us have exe's like this.
Patience is slow precise late-night whispers in your ear, you need to allow the fluid laid back, clubby smooth jazz vibes take over, you give in to all that's implied, clarity will be delivered.
The album closes with the Kraut like ambient moods of Reflections On Kettle Black, bass notes arrive carefully spaced out, leaving the gloom behind.
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