Captains Of Industry

CDS  £1.00 (RRP £2.99)

The mesmeric sound of 21gunsalute is enough to make a grown man cry.

21gunsalute's stark, windswept sounds recall the warm fuzziness of Mercury Rev and emotive swirls of Spiritualised (Jason Pierce has already proclaimed himself a fan) and the breathless beauty of distinctly British-sounding bands such as British Sea Power or Doves. There are touches of Nick Drake's pastoral tones in there too.

From the same diverse Newcastle-Sunderland scene that has recently spawned The Futureheads, Golden Virgins and Yourcodenameis:milo, 21 Gun Salute's live shows have been known to involve, in turn, the use of stools, spectacular light displays and gospel choirs. They formed in early 2003. Cue long walks round badly-lit estates and time spent in a damp-walled bunker in Sunderland. Human fermentation. Social incubation; once you step outside, there's no turning back

Click on track names to play (mp3 64kbs mono.) 1. Cracks 2. Happy Endings 3. This Could Be Your Last Goodbye

"Cracks harks back to the mid-nineties indie scene with the influences of bands such as Embrace, Mercury Rev & Spiritualized all seemingly melding in with the band's own sound, complete with organs, marching band drum intros and xylophones. 'This Could Be Our Last Goodbye' will have lighters being held aloft in a darkened setting with the gentle piano carrying the song along through to the indie jam mid section and closing out with space age keyboard twinkling." DROWNED IN SOUND "A majestically lush debut, 21Gunsalute shimmer and fit so well, like a pair of new boots that don’t ever pinch, like they were just waiting for you to pull them on - ah yes!" ORGAN ART