Gazpacho -- a promotion manager, producer, marketing manager and designer, all four of whom hail from Norway -- create a distinctive sound that is as original as it is sparse.
These songs have a self-proclaimed "English" feel, and in the absence of a drummer, the machine-beats are not instantly engaging. But the tunes are oddly compelling, and the more you listen, the more you realize how expertly-crafted and truly inventive they are.
Singer O has the slide of a crooner, and though it's unclear who does what in the rest of the band, Gazpacho seems to have the innate ability to place an instrument in a certain part of the song to achieve a desired mood without bashing you over the head with it. There's a certain economy there, and this ability translates well throughout the disc's four songs.
Pitting the starkness of machine production against the textured sound of an acoustic guitar seems to be Gazpacho's favorite pastime. "Ghost" relies on a flawlessly memorable piano riff, while "Nemo" throws the usual sparseness against a very full chorus of twinkling organs. "Bravo" is the only song to top four minutes, but the introduction of Irish-style flutes and fiddles towards its end merits the additional length.
If this EP is any indication, longer efforts from the Oslo four-piece will be equally interesting and original.
