Although this one's actually been kicking around for a while, it's more than deserving of a retrospective review because, frankly, it's a corker.
Let's start at the beginning or thereabouts. THE GORGEOUS COLOURS are four, comprising Geoff Mcardle (vocals, guitar), Tim Groenland (bass, vocals), Glen L'Heveder (drums) and Neil Smyth (lead guitar and vocals). They are based in Dublin, released one previous single ('Burning') at the tail end of 2006 and have since built up a noteworthy reputation thanks to headliners at respected Dub venues like Whelan's and The Crawdaddy. These events (and a tour with The Immediate) have clearly stood them in good stead as they performed a confident and debonair set when this writer caught them opening for Stanley Super 800 at Cork's cavernous Half Moon back in April.
A feature of that set, 'Hunting Something' was always looking beyond. It's intense and urgent and far too classy to be derided as bog-standard indie guitar fare. Instead, if proffers a niggly riff like a distant cousin of The Stones' immortal 'Paint It, Black', stiches on Mariachi, Love-style trumpets, louche and dubby basslines and an attention-grabbing, overheating vocal from Mcardle. When taken at the flood, it's utterly intoxicating and suggests The Gorgeous Colours may just be hoarding the sort of indefinable grandeur that only iLiKETRAiNS can compete with just now.
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B-side 'Synopsis (In C# Minor)' proves it's no flash in the pan either. All jaywalking basslines, elegant guitars, beautifully plotted solos and unfettered charisma, it's a different kettle of halibut altogether but equally gloriously realised.
It's still early days, but my overworked mind recalls there was much more of this calibre in their live set, so let's stick around because The Gorgeous Colours have it in them to present us with a magnificent canvas before they've finished. Record companies take heed and act accordingly.
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