Sparkling summer pop, but these guys can really wail...
Hailing from one of Britain's current musical hotspots, the Glasgow four-piece Palomino offers a burst of summer sunshine with their spangly, sun-drenched pop songs.
As soon as 'Already Waiting' opens the album with its fantastic melody you are left imagining balmy Californian days and the sweet smell of suntan lotion as the song builds from its acoustic guitar intro into a majestic piece of sparkling pop splendour. This continues into tracks like 'History (New)' and 'Dreamin', while 'One More Year', a perfect radio song, picks up the pace a little after the chilled out stylings of 'Dreamin', but keeps the real 70s summer feel that has been building throughout the first half of the album. Marco Rea's voice really begins to come to the forefront during this song too, and with a much more gutsy sound really begins to emphasise just what he's capable of.
But unlike so many albums that begin to tail off towards the end, 'Emmanuelle' continues to go from strength to strength and proves that Palomino are more than simply a sunny, radio-friendly pop group. 'When the Ego Hits the Ground' is an unexpected piece of psychedelic with a great melody, a darker sounding chorus and a more raw vocal sound from Rea. The album's standout track, however, has to be the incredible 'Doppelganger'; an intelligent, quirky song that builds from its acoustic beginning into a ballsy, bluesy rock song that just aches to be played at maximum volume. 'Don't Need Persuasion' is another equally impressive song that leans towards a more country feel, while Rea's vocals confirm (as if you needed any confirmation) that this guy can really wail!
All of the songs on this album have a brilliantly full sound; Palomino layer instruments and build their songs in a way that prevents even the more mainstream among them from becoming too predictable or formulaic. But as well as producing chilled out, pretty, summer pop, Palomino prove that they can produce songs that really do rock. Listening to this band it is clear that their influences are numerous and varied, but are combined to brilliant effect and to produce an album that will make essential summer listening.