Nostalgia 77 & The Monster 'The Taxidermist'... Why Has It Taken Me So Long To Listen?

I believe that it is human nature for us to occasionally judge things as we see them. We can preach and relent about how forming opinions based purely on aesthetic values is wrong, but if extreme enough a situation there is no doubt that the human brain utilises the power of first impression for benefit. I would, for example, take the opinion of a little old man in a tweed jacket much more seriously than that of a slightly overweight goth should I ever find myself, or indeed these two characters, at an antiques fair; Ok perhaps one of the most mundane examples I could have chosen but the point still stands...I wouldn't think about it, It is hard wired into me to do so*. Therefore I am laying the blame firmly with this idiosyncrasy of the human psyche as to why I didn't decide to listen to Nostalgia 77 & The Monster's 'The Taxidermist' until this week. The ransom note connotations of the text, the bright unruly colours, the incoherent digit placement... THE RANDOM FISH; This album artwork was indeed my metaphorical goth at an antiques fair, and I have stayed well away from it up to now. Imagine my surprise then, in fact embarrassment, when I braved the record earlier this week and discovered that it was one of the best things I've heard in months!

A stylish and dynamically vibrant affair, Nostalgia 77's 'The Taxidermist' is formed from a handful of experimental recording sessions which took place in early 2012. However before the 'Ergh it's experimental I'm switching off crowd' do so (I'm guilty of it myself on occasion) it is important to know that this record is incredible accessible. Deep Grooves and poignant melodies intertwine to create a wondrous soundscape of creativity; It's like a cauldron of fantastic ideas bubbling away, each idea rises to prominence in their own bubble before sporadically popping and making way for the next hook, phrase or rhythm to inherit the space. A great record to be inspired and impressed by, in terms of both compositional prowess and individual performance.

Well worth a listen if you haven't already (It was released November 2012)

http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/releases/Nostalgia-77/the-taxidermist

* I'm not sure why the Goth was slightly overweight, I think it's just the thought of a slight bulge of fat protruding from a Cradle of Filth tour t-shirt that made me uneasy. Each to their own