Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Albums of the Year # 41 Vinyl Williams - Cosmopolis

 


Wednesday, August 31,

Now this is something really lovely if that's what you're after on a Wednesday morning, which I imagine most people are. Vinyl Williams, not a man but a band, are new to me. They hail from LA and have been described as a Neo-Psychedelic, Electronic, Dreampop, Krautrock, Chillwave, Hypnagogic Pop band by Wikapedia. That's a ludicrous number of labels for one band to labour under. Anyhow, They're ridiculously good. And Cosmoplis, their sixth album, is just out.

It strikes me as really rather Anglophile. The sharp side of the Independent Nineties fair where Bo Radley's, Stereolab, Laika and High Llamas set out their their stalls. Once you know this is the modus vivendi and that Vinyl Williams are so thoughtfully and artfully adept at what they do and that they're going to make you feel like dancing too, in the way that Deelite, Saint Etienne and CSS used to, albeit at the Indie Disco rather the crap mainstream one in the High Street,then you're ready, you can sit back and enjoy. 

For this is first of all a highly enjoyable journey.. This group have a lightness of touch that is rare in the circles they mix in, a fleetness of foot that leads to some truly magical moments when golden confetti is scattered over proceedings and you feel that what you are listening to has more in common with Nile Rogers and Sergio Mendes than Thurston or Malkmus.

So, a true gem for the end of summer and a considerable achievement for Lionel Williams, the guiding vision Spector figure behind his near namesake band. A record I haven't been able to stop listening to since I first became aware of its existence a couple of days ago.

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