Gelato – Gelato (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Some bands like to push boundaries, storm barricades and try to change the face of music; others stick to what they are good at and work in familiar territory. It would seem impossible to simultaneously work in both fields; surely they are polar opposites, mutually exclusive, opposing camps. Well, yes, but somehow Gelato bridge that gap. For whilst you can see the familiar elements that make up their sound – a large helping of grungy, stoner rock tempered with heavy indie and pop sensibilities – the way they re-arrange these sonic building blocks produces something wonderfully refreshing.

I guess it is that magic ingredient, that more than the sum of its parts thing you hear about, the quality of the song writing or the result of a soul sold at a crossroads late one night. For where as many bands could take the same musical elements and end up making a clichéd pastiche to any number of bands on the Homme/Lanagen musical axis or worse, try to reimagine 90s Seattle, Gelato manage to make rock music that is cool, groove laden, infectious and well, to be honest…damn sexy. It is also forward thinking, wonderfully of the here and now, reeking with modernity. Forget the patched denim hordes and their nostalgic tunnel vision, these guys not only know where they come from, more importantly they know where they are going and that is what really counts.