The Jellyfish Bandits- Bat In The Blowhole
9/10

“Nobody likes The Jellyfish Bandits, except for you, except for you”, sings Aaron Leck and Melinda Tracy on the opening track titled ‘Famous Art Thieves’ from the duo’s debut record Bat In The Blowhole. That statement is clearly untrue, because I love them! Their DIY lo-fi pop is just about as infectious as anything I have heard over the past six months, and numerous Jellyfish Bandits songs have stuck in my head for days on end. On their debut album, everything gets minimal treatment, from the synths to the handclaps, each song is held together without to much poise or complexity. The basis to each track is a catchy synth or guitar line and lyrics sung so delicately that they make you swoon with your heart-strings hanging lustfully from your chest. ‘Ghostical Love’ contains the most swoontastic moments, with it’s cheeky little synth line dancing around while the pair sing “…my skin turns to indigo, I’ll watch you through your window. I hope you don’t think that’s creepy, it’s just that you complete me…” and the lyrics continue to have a sing-a-long aspect that’s like a shinny little penny in the spring tide. It was simply one of my favourite songs of 2008. Other highlights from the album include ‘Off Your Leash’, with delay put on the vocals (listen for “hey, hey, heyhey, hey, heyhey”) and ‘Dinosaur Underwear’, a sweet little love song containing the lines “I want to lie next to you in the tall grass, with dinosaur underwear…”. Essentially Bat In The Blowhole is a pop album about love and friendship, and while to many people this topic can be cheesy and a bit mouth gagging, The Jellyfish Bandits have managed to channel the love perfectly, remaining slightly disguised by their super happy bubblegum pop vibe.
Nick

 

Posted by Nick Fulton under Album, Reviews
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