Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Somethings stand out more, not because of their apparent worth, but because of the effort they use to appear in in our vision.
The world’s most expensive car could blur into insignificance if it blends in with others in its class and objectiveness, a fleet of Rolls Royce’s can hide a Bugatti La Voiture Noire if parked together by in a parking lot long enough to add frustration to the driver’s day; but place in a more unique drive, change the detail to that where it stands out with pride, a charabanc driven with style, meaning and self-worth…that is the point of life, not to be the same, but to widely different so that whether you drive, be it made of wood, be it an Orange Car with slogans and a Greenpeace emblem spray painted on it, you can be seen from a distance and admired in a parking lot full of the same dull vehicles.
The uniqueness of Racecar is to be in the presence of a kaleidoscope of colour that does not have an ending, rather its sense of expression and fluency is more than enough to urge the listener to take notice of its particular flavour and turn the key and let the engine purr in the presence of an admirer.
The debut album recording from Racecar’s personnel, Izzy Flower, Robin Brill and Calum Mason, sees the trio make more an impact on the listener than a roar of a speed merchant as they tear up the Scottish countryside, wheels on fire, destruction and unintelligible steering causing a fray, rather a mode of musical transport that doesn’t take you from A to B at the cost of the distinctive, matchless soul, for this the Orange Car that leaves a smile on the eyes as it draws its admirers into its web.
Under the gaze of a storied euphoria, the album tracks, such as Nervous, Better Than You Know, A New Christmas Island, Stranger Shores, and Flood, Racecar understand the belief they have tapped into, and utilise it without the fear of the pedestrian, the beige, the everyday paused humdrum that accompanies the feeling of fitting in; for this is a vehicle that captures the imagination, and which stands out in a world of the ordinary wealthy.
A debut album which is concentrated on delivering a ride of introspection and observance, and one that is a joy to be picked up by as you thumb a lift to the next stop on the journey.
Racecar release Orange Car on June 10th.
Ian D. Hall