Often times when a bunch of dudes get together to form a supergroup it just ends up sounding like a bunch of egos piling into a closet and throwing their arms in the air as they wait for the money to rain down around them. About Group thankfully sound much more organic than that, like a bunch of super talented guys who just happen to have had illustrious careers were hanging out and then—whoops!—recorded an album. Although it wasn't that impulsive, there's still an appealing looseness to the whole thing that we totally didn't imagine. The press release tells us:
"The songs were written by [Alexis] Taylor over the last few years and some, but not all of them, were given out as a CD in piano/vocal demo form for the other members of the group to hear a few days before the studio date. The idea was that no one band member would know the songs well enough to have specific parts, or be prevented from playing something like the first ideas that came into their head.What followed was a collection of songs created in an atmosphere of close listening and instinctive group interplay. The instruments used are a rotating line up of drums, Wurlitzer, organ, piano, electric guitar and electronic textures, ensuring About Group combine a live-in-the-studio band feel around Taylor’s yearning vocal lines. The band’s instincts for experimentation make for subtle shifts in direction and tone, particularly when Thomas’ electronic flourishes move centre stage, blurring the line between improvisation and songwriting structure."
It's also a nice window into what would happen if Taylor spent more time pairing his smooth voice with guitars and a really warm organ. Start & Complete is out April 19th on Domino.
Stream: About Group, "Don't Worry"
