Grand National - 'Kicking The National Habit' (Sunday Best)
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
Grand National's 'Kicking The National Habit' is a curious record. As a complete entity, it doesn't sound much like anything else.
It's rare you'll find us this bamboozled. Yes, there's slivers of reference-points within the London odd couple's intoxicating soundscapes - but the music of the mysterious GN isn't instantly comparable to - well, anything.
Venerable electro-humorists Sparks were supposed to be a bit like this, possibly, but nevertheless this is not your everyday LP. Employing vocals so utterly deadpan they make the Pet Shop Boys look positively enthusiastic, this is an album where monotone, Rapture-ous taut funk-punk ('Playing in The Distance'), Basement Jaxx'ed-up samba party soundtracks ('Cherry Tree') and dawdling Finley Quaye steel drum work-outs ('Daylight Goes') sit alongside each other. An absorbing, wilfully different collection.
Artists in this article: Grand National
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