Whether I like it or not, geography seems determined to influence my reviews on John Peel Day, and perhaps never more so than with the curious tale surrounding the four Swedes and lone Frenchman comprising oddball popsters ENVELOPES.
I'd previously thought Magnet's Even Johansen had un unlikely background wth his nomadic spells in native Norway and relocation to - of all places - Lockerbie, where he converted a pigeon loft into a recording studio. But even his story is out-weirded by Envelopes: a quintet who've spent the past three years dodging in and out of bases in Stockholm, Malmo and Paris. Indeed, it was only when they finally got together - i.e with all five band members permanently under one roof - in a remote farmhouse outside of York (go figure) to record their debut album "Demon" that they actually got to rehearse together as a band for the first time.
But hey, where there's a will there's a way, right? And it seems that regardless of wherever they choose to lay their collective hat, Envelopes will conspire to serve up a curious, but mostly likeable pop melange. "Sister In Love" suggests so. It's a bright, but skewhiff slice of Scando enthusiasm with a penchant for loopy, analogue keyboard sounds and drums that like to go clattering downstairs. It's a little naive and unsophisticated and also embraces New Order-style guitar breaks, but is undeniably long on charm.
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B-side "The Nicotines" is apparently also Envelopes previous group name, and once again it's a slice of naive, sunnyside up guitar pop which flies erratically by the seat of its' pants, but gets by on its' joyful disposability.
Then there's the remixes, which are at agreeable loggerheads too. The 'Test Icicles' remix of "Sister In Love" packs some dancefloor (in)sensibility and beefed-up stompability and is catchy enough to get you moving one way or another, while the CLOR remix is airier, more otherworldy and places the emphasis on the tinkly synths. And is arguably the best thing Clor have yet put their name to in this scribe's humble opinion.
Envelopes, then, are still too ungainly and hurriedly-packaged to make that perfect pop delivery through your door, but they're certainly not useless junk mail either. Let's wait for the album before we decide about renewing postal subscriptions or not.
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