"Lush… perfect… the big time beckons....4/5" - THE INDEPENDENT
"The aural equivalent of icy cider on a hot day...8/10" - NME
The Loose Salute’s ‘Getting Over Being Under’ full of splendid, rueful charm - a triumph of heart and soul, wearing its bubblegum & bruises throughout. Recorded in Cornwall, where main-man Ian (Mojave 3) & keyboardist Al (Mojave 3) both live and surf, and follows the band's critically-acclaimed debut 'Tuned To Love'.
Opener 'It’s A Beautiful Thing' captures the band’s spirit in one song. A swoonful, melody-cut diamond that chases down that elusive dream, a hymn to battling through that manages to be both crest-fallen and hope-filled. 'Getting Over....' celebrates much-loved influences. West Coast – singer Lisa is from there and Ian lived in LA for a few years - and Nashville. Beach Boys, Gram & Emmylou, Mamas & Papas, John Phillips solo, Lovin' Spoonful they're all there, but the Salute venture further afield and conjure authentic Delta Boogie in 'Sister Corita', an almost Bolan-esque stomp on 'Run Out Of Morning' and the folky Fairport shuffle of 'Perhaps She’ll Fly'.
All boast the detailed, original stamp of Ian McCutcheon’s eclectic arrangements. Pedal steel is joined by south of the border trumpets as well as the charm of a Germanic chamber ensemble string section, all lending the album a warm, sumptuous production, while never straying into the saccharine.
These are songs of experience. McCutcheon's affectionately wry take on regret and consolation litter his lyrics A warm open-heartedness, but cut with a clear-eyed acquaintance of life’s dead ends. At the album’s heart is a clutch of outstanding ballads. From the achingly bitter-sweet snapshots of 'Happy I Don’t Count' and 'This Is Love' to the killer closer 'That’s What You Said'. Deceptively sharp glimpses into tense affairs, hotel room mutiny and morning-after regret. 'Hermosa' even manages Nashville swing tied up to a wry tale of mutual S&M manoeuvring. Surely a first.
It's no small thing to make bubblegum pop for adults. Escapist, catchy tunes shot through with everyday blues. Dignity and depth. And always a faith in the mystical power of friends and The Boogie to keep bad times at bay.
Music for growing up and grooving on. Mine’s a double.
"A beautiful album, full of sun-soaked and melancholy-tinged pop...evoking powerfully the surfed-up hazy optimism of their [Cornish] surroundings..."- Dan Cairns, THE SUNDAY TIMES
"A gem. Stripped back simple yet alluring... 4/5" - Jacqui Swift, THE SUN
"Fabulously lachrymose.." - Victoria Segal, Q
"An understated gem.." - Steve Jelbert, THE TIMES
"Their hazy chords and heavenly harmonies are honed to perfection..." - Aaron Lavery, METRO
"This is mop-pop of a sturdy stripe, delivered with grown-up resilience...4/5" - Kevin Harley, THE INDEPENDENT (The Information)
"Soaring, sun-kissed melodies shot through with regret" - STOOL PIGEON
"My new favourite band..5/5" - 247
"Deliriously summery...4/5" - MAXIM
“Gorgeous, melodic little gems influenced by the lost summer sounds of the Free Design, Lee Hazlewood and John Phillips. We strongly recommend you add this to your playing list.” - LA WEEKLY
“Delicious dreamy pop.... custom built for the legions of Belle & Sebastian fans out there” - POP MATTERS
“A sugar-jangle affair with hints of rattlesnake acoustics, climatic trumpets and whispery phrasing” - MTV Hive
“Masterful pop music with a wellspring of chaos, heartbreak, and anger” - ALLMUSIC GUIDE
credits
released June 7, 2011
Acoustic Guitar – Al Horton, Pete Greenwood
Acoustic Guitar [12-string], Acoustic Guitar, Steel Guitar [Lap Steel], Electric Guitar – Aiden Evans
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] – Philipp F. Kölmel
Artwork – James Bates
Bass – Pritpal Soor
Cello – Kath Williams
Drums, Vocals, Percussion, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica – Ian McCutcheon
Electric Guitar, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Robert Jesse
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Oli Beach
Engineer – John Cornfield, Pritpal Soor
Mastered By – John Cornfield
Performer [Strings] – The Loose Salute Chamber Orchestra
Photography By – David Gray
Piano, Organ [Hammond], Bass, Double Bass [Upright Bass], Glockenspiel, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Alan Forrester
Producer – Ian McCutcheon (tracks: 6), Pritpal Soor
Recorded By – David Wasielewski, Tobias Pfister
Steel Guitar [Pedal Steel], Banjo – Melvin Duffy
Trumpet – Gavin Broom
Vocals – Lisa Billson
Vocals, Harmonica – Charlotte King
Written-By – Charlotte King (tracks: 6), Ian McCutcheon (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 11), Robert Jesse (tracks: 6)
The impossible-to-pin-down new record from Pioneer 11 hopscotches across dance, psych, and modular synth music with glee. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 13, 2022
This late ’90s shoegaze record gets a full remaster on the advent of its 25th anniversary, its woozy melodies brighter than ever. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 26, 2021
