New General Catalogue is the debut album from Billericay-based Redjetson. To be honest with you, Londonist nearly gave up on this album after the first couple of listens but something made us listen to it again until we got past the obvious 'sounds like Interpol and Joy Division' knee-jerk reaction.
The album starts with some heavily-reverbed guitar with chords that bring to mind Sing by Blur. And that's not a bad starting point for describing the Redjetson sound. Vocals often take a back seat to the instrumental backing of ringing guitar parts backed by non-showy chords, and the songs are rich sonic soundscapes that demand intense listening if you're to get the most from them. While that's a real strength, it's possibly a commercial weakness in that many people won't have the will to perservere with the album. If you're not paying attention, the sounds can often merge into one - but this album demands attention and rewards it. It's like the difference between 'real' and instant coffee - some people just don't have the palate to appreciate the difference but there's no doubting which is the superior product.
This album is truly one of those where you have to listen to it several times before you 'get it'. If you prefer frothy pop, it's not for you. If, on the other hand, you like your music to give you something new to discover every time you listen to it, it's worth giving it a go. It's a really promising start and we can only hope that the Drowned In Sound label gives Redjetson the room to grow and develop their sound further while they mature as a band.
New General Catalogue is released on Drowned In Sound Recordings today, 24th January 2005 and should be widely available.
Competition
If you're tight-fisted or just struggling to pay off the Christmas credit card bills, Drowned In Sound have given us a copy of the album to give away. To enter the competition, just e-mail us the answer to the following question:
What is the name of Redjetson's album?
a. New Argos Catalogue
b. New General Catalogue
c. New Ikea Catalogue
Update: Competition now closed. The winner of the album was Darren Everden.
