When I first heard that Cloud Control had won the 2010 Australian equivalent of the Mercury Prize I did what a lot of reviewers did and immediately wished them a lot more luck than the British winners of that cursed award. It can't have been any mean feat to win either as they were up against Tame Impala. Their album 'Bliss Release' was released this week in the UK and I've listened to it a few times now and I can state that it's a grower.
Firstly, a little primer about the band: they hail from the Blue Mountains overlooking Sydney and have been around for about 3 years. They have had a lot of success in that time winning radio band contests and also the chance to open for Supergrass on an Aussie tour. They've also recently supported the Foo Fighters in Queensland and are planning to tour the UK very soon.
Now onto the music: At first the sound falls into that Fleet Foxes folky kind of feeling but Cloud Control mix in psychedelia and Vampire Weekend-like African drums to make this an album that is difficult to pin down as one thing or the other. The vocals are shared by the male lead, Alister Wright, who soars like a modern day Tim Booth and a very girlie female lead, Heidi Lenffer. They rely heavily on harmonies in much the same way as Stornoway do but with the instruments having more presence throughout the album.
Meditation Song #2 (Why Oh Why) sounds like a cover of a Fairport song but then they switch again to the close harmonies and then Gold Canary, their critically acclaimed single from the album could be a Fleet Foxes or Stornoway song. 'This is What I Say' is a lovely African-twangy guitar (you know what I mean - Gracelands, Bhundu Boys - that sort of sound!).
Overall, I think it's a very well-balanced album with enough there to make the listener hit the replay button. I'd give it 7 out of 10.
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