From Salt Lake City we have Michael Gross and the Statuettes, who have just released their new EP, "Dust and Daylight". The music is right at the border of pop and indie rock, so fans of both camps should be able to find something on there that will tickle their fancy.
"Dust and Daylight" sounds distinctly 80s with all the muted electric guitar driving the rhythm and Gross' early Bono-esque vocals. Reminds me of a cross between The Refreshments and Cheap Trick. The production is a bit on the lo-fi side, but does not distract from the catchy riffs and the heartfelt vocal delivery. While no single song is over the top awesome, every single song is pretty damn cool. Some big time production and engineer could take the skeleton of these songs and catapult them to radio-friendly gems that everyone would want to blast out of their speakers.
His partners in crime, the Statuettes, and indeed a little 'stiff'. With some loosening up and additional creativity, the tunes might sound more compelling on each listen rather than tired. Still, "Dust and Daylight" is a solid debut that has a retro rock charm and overall fun vibe - very cool for summer! "I've Been Wrong Before" is the clear outlier here, but "Novocaine" and "You Can't Get What You Want" are becoming more enjoyable with each spin.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 3, 5
Michael Gross and the Statuettes on MySpace. Official site.
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