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the album or individual tracks can also be purchased at Apple iTunes
The band that cleverly named itself during the inner Melbourne boutique strip of Prahran’s plague of “Chapel Street hoons†and tracksuit laden drive-by subwoofers (has much changed?), did so with deep irony as these Car Stereo Wars look and sound completely opposite, coming more from the college of indie easy listening than anything.
The intelligent, gripping opener that is Smooth clearly matches its own title plus that of the album, with no irony to speak of in Alyssa Doe’s idyllic vocals. Triple J pick, the appropriately titled Radio Edit bounces in like a Labrador but more info on this track later, as lap steel in hand CSW veer a tangent down Punt Road for third track Broken, where lyrically and vocally The Underground Lovers’ Philippa Nihil channels Suzanne Vega crossed with Art of Fighting’s Peggy Frew.
Though not coupled in the track list, Radio Edit and November go together like cold beer and cigarettes, without damaging our health. Between their similar geek-pop hooks, handclaps and “doo-doo†harmonies I expect them to break into “b-a-d-m-i-n-t-o-n!†like Perth’s The Bank Holidays did on their Greatest Game. In short, November is just plain ace… a real album highlight.
Nothing says electronic French ‘stique like the Air-like Alone, its simple though rather special keyboard progression the type that gets in your ear, makes you listen hard and then wants you to play it yourself, another highlight.
The writing, instrumentation, vocals and production of core fellows Jason White and Matt Gillman, along with the aforementioned Doe with Sean Ashbrooke and Graeme Luther are all top notch. This album features no less than four cellists, evidenced on tracks ala Dearheart (remix) plus there’s a heap of other players throughout. Obvious sponge-worthy Ministry of Sound moments Come to Nothing (as seen on MOS Chillout Session 5)and Broken (MOS Summer Collection 2004) actually have less hammock potential than that of Dearheart or its blissful following tune the piano friendly, softly trumpeted Down. A one-minute high pitched instrumental Little Alarm wakes us gently before the album’s title track and purty closing theme, complete with twee whistling and all the room in the world for a little dog’s bark, even if only in my head.
With a number of jump-backs to previous EPs this is almost now a compilation, but eight years or so has made for a bloody good wrap. Turn it up, sit back and enjoy the ride, b’yatch.
Review from www.thedwarf.com.au
Melbourne-based group Car Stereo Wars have just released their debut album and they’re already in fine form. Opening track ‘Smooth’ sounds just like it reads, and acts as a perfect introduction to an album that has a rich atmosphere throughout. They take some wonderful elements of moody electric rock and acoustic pop and mix them together with the sensibilities of chilled-out electronica to produce a sound that is both mature and engaging. Car Stereo Wars have got the style, mood and range of hooks to pull the listener in. ‘For Your Comfort and Safety’ is definitely an indication of a strong and fruitful future
Review from tsunami-mag
Car Stereo Wars formed in 2000 when Jason ‘Blackie’ White (bass) and Matt
Gilman (guitar) met at an extremely nerdy new media course in Melbourne. In
an attempt to appear cooler than they were, they decided to start a band and
soon recruited singer Alyssa Doe.
The trio then imposed on the generosity of a handful of friends including Ash
Naylor (Even), Chris Brodie (The Broken Arrows), and Philippa Nihill (The
Underground Lovers) to join them on their first EP ‘Project A.’ The single
‘Broken’ subsequently gained the attention of Triple J and Melbourne’s 3RRR
and eventually found it’s way onto a Ministry Of Sound Chillout Sessions
Compilation.
In 2001 the band travelled to Texas to play at the South by Southwest Festival,
and two years later packed their bags again to play some shows at New York’s
CMJ Music Marathon with new band member Graeme “Gra†Luther. On this
tour they had the extreme good fortune to get to play a gig at the famous and
now extinct CBGB’s.
After all this excitement, the foursome returned to Melbourne, had a good lie
down, and signed with Hussle/Ministry of Sound in 2003. They headed back
into the studio with long time producer Robbie Rowlands and new member
Sean Ashbrooke (guitar) along with guests Steve Hesketh (The Forefathers,
Jet) and Shan Vanderwert (Dallas Crane) to record their second EP ‘They
Asked Me To be In A Movie’. The song ‘Come To Nothing’ was included on
another MOS Chillout Compilation later that year.
In the few years that followed the band went back into the studio to piece
together the songs for a future album and amicably parted ways with their
label, having agreed that stylistically they were moving away from
chill/electronica and into the unknown.
Despite births, deaths and day jobs, the long awaited debut album ‘For Your
Comfort and Safety’ was completed in 2008, and showcases the band’s
versatility and knack for genre mixing. From the bouncy pop of ‘radio edit’ to
the sweeping outer space adventure of ‘smooth’, the music is an eclectic,
layered blend of electric, acoustic, orchestral and electronic instruments that
may contain traces of nuts.
Car Stereo Wars independently released 'For Your Comfort and Safety' through
Greg Records on the 1st August 2008. It is available for purchase via the
band’s website: www.carstereowars.com
In the not to distant future the band will travel to Barbados to film a lavish, nautical themed video clip involving matching white linen outfits in the style of
Duran Duran.
