Album Review: Giro Junkie - Taxi For Dave

UK Release – 30/09/11 – Laugh Riot Records

Courtesy of Giro Junkie, Taxi For Dave

Two-piece Stoke-on-Trent folk band, Giro Junkie, open their debut album with a simple and uninspiring guitar riff. The working-class attitude displayed throughout the album is mimicked in the lazy chords of 'Hands for Feet'. The upbeat guitar change ending halfway is the surreal highlight of the average opening track.

'God Loves a Smuggler' is a pleasant follower with the beautiful softness of Rich Bloor's voice alternating well with the crashing snare and strings.

Sufjan Stevens and an acoustic Blink 182 is an unlikely pairing of influences heard in 'Playtime's Over'. The build-up of strumming and harmonies culminate well with an instant layering where the repetitive strings provide the highlight. The sombre ending felt eerie at first, but soon felt difficult to really justify within the song.

The layered vocals were a strong set-up for the climax of 'Oh-Dae-Su'.

'Razz Fadya' has nice moments with fast tempo drumming and interesting trumpet sounds.

There's an all-too-familiar sound to the album which often struggles to break any real boundaries and enter the extraordinary. Although the indie outfit clearly possess strong song-writing talent, they haven't exceeded any expectations with a record that had potential to be so much more.

Rating: 5/10

Below is the track listing for Taxi For Dave:

1. Hands for Feet
2. God Loves a Smuggler
3. A Murder of Logistics
4. A Job Too Far
5. Playtime's Over
6. Oh-Dae-Su
7. Picking up the Peasants
8. Razz Fadya
9. Feeling Not Theory
10. Like the Dog to the Vomit