Album Review: Mr. Gnome – “Madness In Miniature”
Back in 2009 I went through a phase when I actively sought out artists solely based on if they had and interesting name or not. I also had an intense fascination with gnomes at the time. In short this was a rather convenient time in my life to be introduced to Cleveland’s Mr. Gnome and their second album Heave Yer Skeleton. I then spent the next two years seeking out and collecting their back catalog never to be disappointed.
This brings us to 2011 and their new full-length album Madness In Miniature. The duo of singer/guitarist Nicole Barille and drummer/pianist/back-up vocalist Sam Meister once again bring their own brand of indie madness through twelve songs and 41 minutes that completely immerse the listener.
The album features tracks that hark back to Skeleton’s opener “Spain” that present the atmospheric nature and beauty of the band. The oddly haunting, ”Winter,” showcases Barille’s voice soaring in echo with very little intrusion from the instruments while the layers of vocals from both her and Meister on the short filler track “Run For Cover” highlight the pair’s ability to work well on something unusual even for them.
However, This CD is by no-means the band slowing down. The album has several tracks that reintroduce the energy not heard since their first LP, Deliver This Creature, or even since their 2006 self-titled EP. “We Sing Electric” shows of a side of the band that can only be described as if The Black Keys and St. Vincent collaborated after an evening of Hunter S. Thompson style debauchery. The song is groovy and quite odd. The madness of the album picks back up again with “Wolf Girls” which sounds like something right off of Creature but not in a way that does not show progress but rather in the way a band SHOULD reconnect with material they wrote early on in their musical life.
“House of Circle” is certainly new territory for the band. That song is straight up sexy. Seek that one out.
For those unfamiliar with band I would say that this is a great place to start with Mr. Gnome. This is their most diverse offering, it is very weird in the best way, and shows off all of their influences (which they list as “life, war, music, sex, the little rascals”). I cannot praise this album nor this band enough.
Pick up Madness In Miniature by Mr. Gnome via El Marko Records
Find Mr. Gnome on their website, facebook, or their “Sweet-Ass blog.”
Buy it
Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster
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