Aereogramme - A Story In White (Matador, 2001)

Aereogramme
A Story In White
Matador
2001

Rating: 8 Rob Roys out of 10

Have you ever heard a band so good that it gave you goose bumps? A band so instantly appealing that you tell everyone you know about them, until your friends are fed up with your constant jibber jabber? Friends and neighbors, meet that band: Aereogramme. Sometimes screaming, sometimes singing, sometimes rocking, sometimes orchestral...always amazing. Craig B, formerly of Ganger(another quality group unto itself), formed this band in 1998. After a couple of singles and EPs, this is their first full length.

Since the world likes to place all music in pretty little packages with bows on top, these guys will unjustly be described as ‘another band from Scotland,’ and constant comparisons will be made to other Scottish luminaries such as Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian, Arab Strap, Snow Patrol, and whoever else they want to dream up. While they might be from the same land, they are not defined by it. There are some similarities between Aereogramme and Mogwai, but to say they sound alike would be an unjust oversimplification. The transitions from one style of music to another within the context of individual songs is a big part of the beauty of this album – to go from something in the vein of folk, to a noisy/post rock crescendo, and then to mellow out and bring in an orchestra...well, words cannot do justice to fully describe the scenario. Needless to say, while most bands might have trouble pulling this off, Aereogramme do so, and flawlessly.

If you like Mogwai, Sigur Ros, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, or other like minded bands (but aren’t looking for something that sounds like any of them really), you should run to the record store as fast as your legs will carry you and check this out.