The time has come for the full-length debut record by Michael Gross and the Statuettes. It is called "Telepath" and contains several tracks that have previously appeared on their recent EP, "Impulse and Exports" (reviewed here), but none from their debut EP, "Dust and Daylight" (reviewed here).
Michael Gross and The Statuettes are an American indie rock/pop band from Salt Lake City, Utah that formed in the summer of 2008. From 2003-2007, Michael Gross was the guitarist and one of the singer/songwriters in the band The Brobecks. After his departure from that band and a stint in a band called Lets Become Actors, Michael recorded his first solo album in the spring of 2008 entitled "Tales From a Country Home.” A short time later, Michael formed a full band around this project. The Statuettes were born.
Having released two independent EPs, Michael Gross and the Statuettes have found their groove and have a good chemistry together. The band sounds more confident than ever, which translates into more solid performances on "Telepath". In terms of songwriting, there is still some room for growth in terms of writing more memorable hooks. However, there are some real standouts that make "Telepath" worth checking out. Carried over from the "Impulse and Exports" EP are the previously highlighted tracks "On and On" and "Silence Is A Killer". Among the new tunes here, the upbeat "Real Gone" is very enjoyable, and "When The Curtains Come Down" has a great early Radiohead quality to it.
"Telepath" is being released on August 21 by Los Angeles based Sonata Cantata Records. Check them out if you like The Shins or We Are Scientists.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 7, 8, 9
Michael Gross and the Statuettes on MySpace. Official site.
