CREAMY VELOUR
Angel’s Guise
(Klank)
I must confess that the moment the slide guitar hits on the opening “To Love Like You,” I was sold on Creamy Velour’s wonderful debut release. These 12 tracks arrive after three aborted attempts with more than 20 songs recorded, and the band wisely decided to leave intact the ‘cream’ of the crop.
At its core, Angel Guise is highly eclectic and catholic, building from an emotional & spiritual musical base; atmospheric & visceral pop constructs that suit its lyrical concerns to a T.
On the heartfelt folky “Sweet Salvation,” the underpinnings of faith are revealed – “I need redemption,” likewise on the country-bluesy “Hey Jesus” vocalist Jon Witteveen pleads for divine assistance – “Can You lend a helping hand?”
On the mildly spry “Raise the Flag,” the sweet pop melodies belie the earnest message – “Pull out all the stops and bleed,” similarly the melancholy “Sha La La” suggests a ray of hope underneath the gloom – “I wanna have fun/Don’t wanna do the things that need to get done.”
Angel Guise is an album that must be savored all the way – front to back – for the intensity of its music and for the integrity of its lyrics, undoubtedly one of the debuts of the year. A+
