And the Giraffe – Something for Someone EP review

And the Giraffe- Evocative ‘dream-folk’ music from Florida duo.

American duo Nick Roberts and Joshua Morris make up the band And the Giraffe- an odd name but one that suits their musical style perfectly.  The echoic guitar melodies laced with delay, gentle percussion and soothing vocals create a mood of a gentle and unassuming intelligence resonant of their namesake animal. The mood the band convey is really powerful and, as Maimed and Tamed commented on the band, “It is not very often that you come across music that has the ability to transport you to a completely different place’’. Not much with this band, as with their animal, is rushed. We get a strong sense of feeling and poignancy but it is never heavy or overbearing; it feels as if everything they have to say is whispered, but it is all the clearer and more powerful for it. They remind me of more spacey Mumford & Sons and the guitar is reminiscent of Ry Cooder’s earlier work.

The first track of the debut EP Something for Someone, available for listening at on the And the Giraffe bandcamp page, is one of the strongest songs. A beautiful melody and it feels more rounded than the rest- perhaps because the chorus feels a little stronger. While the airy, almost trance-like sounds of the band are what gives them such a distinctive sound one does feel at times that a bigger chorus needs to come out, if only because they would make the dreamy verses even more emphatic as a response. Instrumentation and textures are strong. Their sound is full but light as they benefit from tinkling piano, moody saxophone and subtle guitar changes. Vocal duties are split between both Nick and Joshua and this really works as their voices complement each other nicely. Indeed, some complex harmonies could work really nicely in their music and would give another dimension to the sound without tarnishing it. While I enjoy strongly the band’s music it can be a little repetitive and, while they should not compromise their original sound which is really strong, they could benefit from some variety. For example, the sudden flurry of guitar on Masquerade works really nicely as a contrast to the rest of the song and really grabs the listener’s attention.

One of the loveliest things that comes through about the band is their character. Looking at their website they seem passionate, warm and quirky. Each copy of their EP comes with a hand drawn sketch of a giraffe and the band is even willing to give them away for free because, and I quote, they ‘really just want people to listen’ and I recommend wholly that you do so. While I can’t imagine this band filling out a stadium their chilled wistful sound is extremely alluring and it is easy to imagine them as cult favourites at small clubs.  Overall, we receive a wonderful effort from an intriguing and musical group. I give them extra marks for having produced the entire thing in Nick’s apartment’s bedroom. In fact, the fact they did so sums the band up perfectly.

Keep following And the Giraffe from their And the Giraffe official website.