"Nitetime Rainbows"
22 April 2010, 11:00
| Written by Erik Thompson
Far from simply cashing in on their recent success, Philadelphia's A Sunny Day In Glasgow keep the party that started with last year's sublime Ashes Grammar going on their equally dynamic new EP Nitetime Rainbows. Featuring an updated mix of 'Nitetime Rainbows' as well as three new songs and a plethora of diverse remixes of the title track, this ebullient short-player is a brief burst of springtime and uplifting ambiance that not only will tide listeners over until the bands next release, but hopefully will cause people to rediscover the genius of Ashes Grammar. ASDIG have had a relatively tumultuous past, with many different incarnations of the ever-evolving lineup passing through over the years while always being guided by the steady influence of mastermind Ben Daniels, and Rainbows seems to be a celebration of the natural camaraderie of their current roster. The songs reflect that synergy as well, maintaining a diaphanous, danceable essence while also remaining sonically adventurous and captivating.'Nitetime Rainbows' was clearly a standout on Grammar, and the fresh mix found at the start of the EP brings a clearer focus to the hypnotic churn of the track, parting the clouds as it were and allowing the modern palette of sonic colours to reveal themselves. It's a relentlessly sanguine song that bursts with vivacity, and is well served by getting its own album along with the remix treatment, for there are plenty of layers to either add to or peel away, unveiling rosier depths that grow more vivid the deeper their explored. 'Daytime Rainbows,' the first of the new songs, is a perfect compliment to the animated title track, building on that song's cheerfulness by adding richer vocals and a dense wall of sound that echoes the Spector girl-groups of the Sixties while also modernizing those ideals. It's a gloriously brief track that flows seamlessly into the propulsive 'So Bloody, So Tight,' the best of the new tracks, which features spiraling keyboards and cascading vocals over an entrancingly bold beat.'Piano Lessons' plays off Daniels' simple plunks at the keys, and builds that into a enthralling six-minute sprawl that winds up sounding more like a sketch than a completed song, but still has enough inventive flourishes to maintain interest throughout. The following remixes build on the positive nature of the title track, with Athens, Georgia's the Buddy System, Benoît Pioulard and Anticipate label-head Ezekiel Honig all casting different tones and atmosphere over the same 'Rainbow.' The Buddy System remix is the most effective of the bunch, really stretching the melody out and giving the transfixing, looped vocals plenty of room to breathe, while also maintaining the shimmering nature of the original. Pioulard deconstructs the song immensely in his 'acid wash edit,' bringing some discord and abrasiveness to a song that didn't need any to begin with, while Honig's mix closes out the brief EP in a dreamy, sparse fashion that doesn't really shed any new light on the original, just makes you appreciate how great it sounds when all of these elements come together.A Sunny Day In Glasgow are clearly doing a lot of things right with their sound these days, crafting refreshing, rousing material that never gets dragged down by convention or convenience. Their songs float effortlessly but still have a pulsing soul, somehow managing to keep their songs breezy while still being deeply affecting. There is a colorful, dynamic atmosphere in all of ASDIG's music, and this EP shows that we are all in for a long stretch of bright days as long as the band keeps churning out magnetically auspicious material like this.
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