The Gift - Explode Review

Portugal's answer to the Flaming Lips has returned with a new LP. I've got my glitter bag ready.

The Gift - Explode (2011) – 5.4 / 10.0

Release Date: March, 2011
Running Time: 61:50
Label: Le Folie Gift
Producer: Ken Nelson
Genre: Dream Pop, Indie Glam Rock
Drug of Choice: Champagne, Poppers
Key Tracks:
"RGB"
"My Sun"
"Suit Full of Colours"

Originally formed in 1994, Portugal's The Gift were platinum artists upon their debut in Europe, but have never fully-cracked interest stateside or repeated their former success across the Atlantic. With Explode the band have crafted an album that is the prettier parts of a Flaming Lips symphonic album with accents of Built To Spill and Queen.

This record is bright and shimmering, if somewhat too light in some places. At just over an hour, there was certainly some fat for The Gift to cut from this record. Early album tracks like "Made for You" and "Mermaid Song" are too samey and the 12-plus minute anthem "The Singles" is probably ten minutes too long. That being said, the second half of Explode is bordering on the wonderful.

"My Sun" is exemplary of this band's ability to craft a dynamic story tune. "Suit Full of Colours" is exactly the kind of hand-clapping, marching niche that this genre has been in desperate need of. There are also some tracks here that I'm not quite sure what to think about. The mid-album track "Primavera" features a beautiful lead vocal in Portugese and an instrumentation that rivals Bon Iver and Destroyer's latest works for cheesiest 80's ape of the year. With Explode, the Gift give us an entirely pleasant listen that needs some harder edges and a fair amount of editing.

This is fun, but not entirely memorable.

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Reviewer Stats:
Reviews - 37
Average Rating - 6.8
Highest Rating - 9.5 Blitzen Trapper's American Goldwing
Lowest Rating - 3.5 Ryan Adams' Ashes & Fire