Labels: XL
Review by: Andy Malcolm
So these guys are pretty big or something? I heard their track ‘The Staunton Lick’ on the last aired episode of the uber hip comedy series Spaced (enjoy it for the right reasons, not the wrong ones), and eventually tracked down a copy of a CD which compiled some EPs together. Top notch it is. And this is a new 10″, a prelude to a brand new album on the XL label. Two tracks here, and mighty fine they are too. They really do strike me as the sort of folks who will one day make it quite big and score a massive hit, but first of all they will have to make a 3 minute long song instead of 10 minute long ones or whatever we have here. I can’t be bothered to time it.
Anyways. Lemon Jelly make ultra chilled, absurdly melodic indie / electronic music. It’s all about the repetition. It’s all about the repetition. They are sonically warm and mix in acoustic guitar, beats, piano and samples to make their sound. It just relaxes and gets me in the groove and in the mood. Super pleasant and utterly ear friendly. No electronica randomness, no pretense, just gorgeous melodies and a little cleverness. First song “Spacewalk” has lots of supposed samples of a supposed NASA spacewalk which appears to have been concocted in a studio. The acoustic guitar work on here is super nice, as was the attraction of “the Staunton Lick”, and everything comes together in a rather dandy package. This track just oozes class and skill. I can listen over and over and not get bored. That acoustic guitar. Oh man! There is another song on here, it is sadder. Probably because of the samples. It is called “Pushy” and the sampleage is from some kid that the BBC recorded in 1968 – “I don’t like people much, I get on better with animals. Well, I like people, but I don’t get on with them very well”, “I just haven’t got a knack with being friendly really, you know”. It’s more the same, warm, melodic, blissful, but just has this over-whelming sadness because of the samples of the childs observations. This person is in their 40’s now, I wonder what they are doing? I wonder if they know they are on this record.
Um, yeah. Ok! I love this 10″, the LP is out as of this week too and I just blew a shitload of money on getting the limited vinyl version. What a twat. This is great.