car stereo wars

“There’s an interesting social phenomenon happening in music lately. While the world of hugely popular artists has never been more horrific and awful…there seems to be a wealth of cool and credible artists getting their feet in the door by having their music featured in commercials and televisions shows. We were blown away late last year by Britain’s Patrick & Eugene (whose music can be heard on several big-time television commercials)…and now the folks in Car Stereo Wars have the same effect on us…despite the fact that their music is being used for blatantly commercial purposes (!). Just goes to show that when the quality’s there…nothing else really matters. Many folks would probably lump the songs on For Your Comfort and Safety into that all-too-familiar dream pop genre…but in our minds these folks are simply creating smart, gliding, progressive pop with cerebral qualities. Eleven beautiful cuts here including “Smooth,” “Radio Edit,” “November,” and “For Your Comfort and Safety.” This album should instantly appeal to fans of Ivy.” - Baby Sue website

The band that cleverly named itself during the inner Melbourne boutique strip of Prahran’s plague of “Chapel Street hoons” and tracksuit laden drive-by subwoofers (has much changed?), did so with deep irony as these Car Stereo Wars look and sound completely opposite, coming more from the college of indie easy listening than anything.

The intelligent, gripping opener that is Smooth clearly matches its own title plus that of the album, with no irony to speak of in Alyssa Doe’s idyllic vocals. Triple J pick, the appropriately titled Radio Edit bounces in like a Labrador but more info on this track later, as lap steel in hand CSW veer a tangent down Punt Road for third track Broken, where lyrically and vocally The Underground Lovers’ Philippa Nihil channels Suzanne Vega crossed with Art of Fighting’s Peggy Frew.

Though not coupled in the track list, Radio Edit and November go together like cold beer and cigarettes, without damaging our health. Between their similar geek-pop hooks, handclaps and “doo-doo” harmonies I expect them to break into “b-a-d-m-i-n-t-o-n!” like Perth’s The Bank Holidays did on their Greatest Game. In short, November is just plain ace… a real album highlight.

Nothing says electronic French ‘stique like the Air-like Alone, its simple though rather special keyboard progression the type that gets in your ear, makes you listen hard and then wants you to play it yourself, another highlight.

The writing, instrumentation, vocals and production of core fellows Jason White and Matt Gillman, along with the aforementioned Doe with Sean Ashbrooke and Graeme Luther are all top notch. This album features no less than four cellists, evidenced on tracks ala Dearheart (remix) plus there’s a heap of other players throughout. Obvious sponge-worthy Ministry of Sound moments Come to Nothing (as seen on MOS Chillout Session 5)and Broken (MOS Summer Collection 2004) actually have less hammock potential than that of Dearheart or its blissful following tune the piano friendly, softly trumpeted Down. A one-minute high pitched instrumental Little Alarm wakes us gently before the album’s title track and purty closing theme, complete with twee whistling and all the room in the world for a little dog’s bark, even if only in my head.

With a number of jump-backs to previous EPs this is almost now a compilation, but eight years or so has made for a bloody good wrap. Turn it up, sit back and enjoy the ride, b’yatch.

Review from www.thedwarf.com.au
- www.thedwarf.com.au

Meet Car Stereo Wars
Their name might conjure up images of sitting at a traffic light with extremely decibel-challenged individuals in the car next to you, but the music of Melbourne, Australia's Car Stereo Wars is actually serene in comparison. Beginning musical life as a trio back in 2000, their first EP was titled Project A and included a very dreamy track called Broken which earned them considerable attention. Since then, they've continued to refine an impressive blend of orchestra and electronic into their debut full-length release, For Your Comfort and Safety. This is your chilled-out release of the year, atmospheric and though-provoking if the moment calls for it made available to you by a band with terrific versatility, and their music will grab you, pull you in and keep you in full float. A band as good at genre-mixing as they come. Excellent.
- Local Vertical