Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today (CD)

I've not really heard a huge amount of Ariel Pink's output but on staff recommendation I took the promo home for a little listen and was pretty much blown away, especially by the single 'Round & Round' and late night electro drifter 'Fright Night (nevermore)'. Now i've got a bunch of catching up to do!!! Damn! Anyway, so this is Haunted Graffiti's first LP for 4AD and from what I can gather it's a little more hi-fi than their previous home-recorded output. Obviously, it's hard for me to make any comparison....so I won't. What I can tell you is that this is an amazingly varied and inspired collection of songs that spans the gamut of psych-pop, rock 'n' roll, R&B, New Wave, West Coast Funk, merseybeat harmonies and AOR (that Album Orientated Rock) with relative ease and confident conviction. Ariel Rosenberg's voice is a delight to hear...part skilled, part winging it, but always inventive - plus his band are a stupidly skilled lot. Some of this stuff reminds me of Fleetwood Mac or Bread but in the best possible way. I also can't help but think of 10CC but that's not meant to put you off....this is a fucking great record, no denying. If it's not album of the week i'll weep a little tear of sadness.