Insect Guide - Dark Days and Nights

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3...according to our Dave on Thu 28 Oct, 2010.

The new full length album from these guys sounds pretty sweet. It has shoegaze leanings and it reminds me of a more futuristic Velvet Underground. It has a massive dollop of goth splashed bleakness all over its pretty little face. There are quite a lot of things going on in this record. Some of it sounds unrelentingly bleak, but just when you start feeling guilty for not wearing enough black while listening to this dark opus your eyes are blinded by the occasional shafts of light coming at you from across the darkest of oceans. Like a welcoming beacon these lights guide you past turgid morbid songs and lighten the mood. It's refreshing when it's not a barrage of depression. The record sounds great though. Full and multi-layered production lends an impressive feel to proceedings and the vocals are inspired. I haven't watched the DVD yet but I can assume that it contains images of men and women in tight trousers and nail varnish mincing about in rain soaked cities with nothing to protect their honour but some white face paint and an iPod full of Robert Smith quotes. The kids are alright and they are donning big long black coats....

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Critically acclaimed Leeds band Insect Guide return with new single ‘Down From Here’ Sept 6th’ from forthcoming LP Dark Days & Nights - out Oct 4th their second album of dark, beautifully crafted pop. Fans will find things have moved on since the band’s first album 6ft in Love (an Uncut Debut of the Month in November 2007) and 2008’s EP of remixes by MGMT producer Sonic Boom: the dramatic, densely layered guitars of Stan Howells and black- coffee vocals of Su Sutton are unmistakable, but the addition of Chris Cooper (Pale Saints) on drums brings a burst of post-punk energy to the new tracks. While the overall effect is accessible and unashamedly ‘pop’, Insect Guide haven’t lost any of their eclectic, experimental edge. New single ‘Down From Here’ offers intense washes of sweeping guitar coupled with Su’s almost sinister vocal. A master class in the creation of musical light and shade. For those who like their music hookladen and saturated with atmosphere, Dark Days & Nights (released October 4th) will be an album to fall in love with. The title track was released as a single in March receiving numerous plays on the 6Music Marc Riley Show and lead to a 'Live Session' on BBC Radio 6 (21.04.10). The bands cover version of the Lady Gaga Paparazzi hit was also played by Steve Lamacq who announced it as 'the cover version that EVERYONE is talking about!' Formed in Leeds in 2005 by Su Sutton (vocals) and Stan Howells (guitar) released debut album 6ft in Love in 2008 to widespread acclaim. The album was followed in January 2008 by a limited EP of remixes by Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3/Spectrum). 2008 saw the band gigging heavily from New York to Norway and supporting the likes of Ulrich Schnauss, Maps and Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Meanwhile, their cover of Dinosaur Jr’s ‘Freakscene’, originally given away free at gigs, found it’s way onto Steve Lamacq show and into the pages of the NME. The first 500 copies of the album will also include a bonus DVD featuring promo videos , live concert and documentary footage.