Singles

Attack and Defend - Garibaldi

Bill Cummings 14/02/2007

Rating: 3/5

Attack and Defend's new single is the follow up to last year's interesting if rough Owl EP, sitting down to listen to them one thing you can gurantee with Attack and Defend is something a bit off the wall. You can expect the unexpected if you will, and their new single "Garibaldi" is no different. Opening like some kind of '70s TV theme tune, marching casio notes and a lo fi beat break out into a trot, telling the tale of a 19th Century Italian and a fish thats spent his time in a "new york candle factory". It's like a bizarre cross between West coast Americana, Pink Floyd, '80s indie and The Coral, moving from slightly off-key plaintive vocals, to choppy guitar shuffle, to a barbershop quartet segue, woven with frankly barking spaceman lyrics ("Little little fishy swimming in the sea/Why the hell are you called Garibaldi!"). Initially it's all disorientating but typically Attack and Defend. Like a lo-fi prog multi-coloured vision of the world, even on my third listen I'm still not sure whether it's fucking brilliant or just utter utter drug addled nonsense.


The b-side is "Don Pedro", which starts like a classical piano piece, before chopstick notes usher in 60s-ish round-the-houses drums and jazzy cowboy guitars. It's almost Mansun-esque, Six era: like three little tracks in one, first there's the little tale of a girl calling round ("There she was just glancing at the scenery/ but she didn't leave me kisses at the end") that's barked out, before it breaks out into a more regocnisable 60s melody, snaking guitar notes and organs draping quite apt lyrics ("I feel like I'm in the wrong century"); it's barmy but actually an endearingly enjoyable ramshackle ride.


Attack and Defend's only Welsh cousins are said to be the Super Furry Animals, who's eccentric pop indie/dance is often similiarly bizarre and brilliant in equal measure. Whether Attack and Defend's own brand of organic lo fi psychadelica has the kind of range, and consistancy to follow in the furry footsteps of their famous cousins into the bosoms of the wider listening public is a moot point, but they are certainly getting in their time machine and jetting off to some unusual musical worlds, which has to be a good thing, doesn't it?

http://www.myspace.com/attackanddefend