Figurines: Hey Girl EP
Strange Feeling Records

Recalling the roots rock sounds of Robert Gordon, Chris Spedding, and Rockpile, Figurines' rollicking “Hey Girl” lets harmonies and barracuda guitars roar for a classic two-and-a-half minutes before getting out of the way. “The Air We Breathe” offers a glorious riff on Smile-era The Beach Boys with multi-layered harmonies a veritable homage, though Christian Hjelm's high-pitched vocal immediately identifies it as a Figurines song. Given that both tracks appear on the group's full-length When the Deer Wore Blue (issued on Paper Bag in 2007 and on Strange Feeling in 2008), the EP's primary value lies in Prins Thomas's ten-minute “Disco Mix” of “The Air We Breathe,” a 110bpm strutter that weaves angelic harmonies over a slowly escalating stomp. Thomas liberally stretches out the tune: five minutes in, the song quietens to allow Hjelm's voice to become the focal point but only for a moment as the stomp again takes precedence. In truth, it's less a “Disco Mix” than “Dream Mix”; regardless, the single is an appetizing teaser to the Danish quintet's wonderful album.

March 2008