Grande Valise, Glass & Keys - album review
Local historians sit up and plug your headphones in - this is the record for you.
This is Glass & Keys, the second record from Black Country synth poppers Grande Valise. And across those sweeping, swooningly sweet electro melodies are the dual vocals of Andy Miles and Becky Pickin referencing some of the region's greatest industrial triumphs.
Public Service Broadcasting are the modern masters of this type of historical commentary music - particularly their 2017 record Every Valley that depicted the history of the mining industry in Wales. But now Grande Valise are stepping up to the mic.
Sunbeam, Charles and Jeremiah Chubb, New Invention, Foster, Rastrick and Co., and the glass and lock industries all get a look-in, amongst much, much more.
Think of some of the big synth bands of the 80s, but then take out some of the aggression from those tunes. This is softer, kinder - it smiles more. Their influences include OMD, The Flaming Lips and Kraftwerk, but they've made them more child-friendly.
The unashamed positivity of Simon Says, for example, veers well into Arcade Fire territory with that beautifully uplifting synth trot in between the vocals. Scattered, thumping bass underpins the whole thing and makes it a real party.
Sunbeam is more mellow than the above, but the same rules generally apply. Softer and more hushed, it's like a parent scurrying around getting ready for work trying not to wake their children and ruin that morning cuppa. Audio adverts add to the historical gravitas of the track - this is when they are most like PSB in their delivery. And when it kicks in for the uplifting solo late on we could have a song straight from the Drive motion picture soundtrack.
The vocals of Pickin and Miles work brilliantly together. Miles sounds much like Lightning Seeds' Ian Broudie, and it makes each track emotive.
This is a proper "grower" of a record where you can pick more references with each listen. it's well crafted by Sean Lloyd at Claptrap the Studio.
Special note should also go to the weirdly relaxing saxophone interludes of John Elliott Stands and the foot-stomping big sound of March Of The Union.
Rating: 7/10
Grande Valise launch the album with a show at Claptrap the Venue in Stourbridge on April 12
