The debut release of indie "supergroup" Mister Heavenly, Out Of Love, has been a heavily anticipated one. Not only does the band consist of members of three underground cult indie classic acts (OK, Modest Mouse no longer fits in this "category", but Man Man, The Unicorns and Islands still do), but they tour with one George Michael on bass (that's George Michael Bluth, or by his own name Michael Cera). These bands have an ear for acerbic, idiosyncratic guitar pop, whilst Cera rides the zeitgeist of hipster dork cool. But with all supergroups comes the fear that there will be too many cooks, or indeed, no cooks at all. Most bands succeed like any given science experiment - everything in its right place, under the right conditions, in the right environment, and lightning strikes. Take just one of these elements away...
However, Out Of Love (out on Sub Pop) proves that Mister Heavenly (although not the greatest of monikers) aren't doing this thing half-arsed. Opening with crunchy second single 'Bronx Sniper', the album demonstrates that there is gold in them thar hills...even if they have only come back with some gold dust. First single 'Pineapple Girl' is a tropical pop bubbling brook, and 'Charlyne' has the slightly anguished howls that a lover's lament deserves, even if the tongue lands firmly in the cheek. Its a good sounding album - all the elements are in the right place, especially Nick Thorburn's ever welcome vocals - yet maybe we need to invite Mister Heavenly around for a second helping before we can decry their brilliance. That said, it's much better than most "supergroup" efforts - and that's a compliment in itself.
Mister Heavenly - Bronx Sniper
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