Pangolin Band
TRB

Review By Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
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  The Pangolin Band has a sound that you can try define but good luck doing so. They hail from Melbourne Australia and rarely do I have the opportunity to hear a band from this part of the globe, and when I do, it is always a treat. Down under has yielded some of the greatest music stars; however, you do not hear too much talk about it. I think the importance of the area and what is has contributed to music over the years is vastly underrated.

Take this amazing indie band for instance; their self-released album TRB is quite an accomplishment. From the first track right through to the end they offer you an incredibly tasteful and diverse array of rock music. To say it's just rock music is a general statement; do not let that mislead you. This band mixes a compelling dose of rock, blues, jazz, jam, fusion, well you name it, they use a pinch of this and that and throw it altogether, enlist some nice alluring female vocals to their sound, and magic happens. They come up with something so appealing and different that you feel duty-bound to turn anyone on within your circle of friends and family on to their cool sound.

Upon first listen I sent the bandleader Paul Hughan (guitars, keys, effects) an email and told him I loved the CD but had no idea what to call it or where to start, I only knew it was different and the more I explored the CD, the more it opened up new musical vistas for me. Each time I listened, I heard yet another influence or genre I enjoyed. This music is all about atmosphere and creating an ongoing picture show within your mind. This kind of explanation of music is something that has become common with me over the years and I love to be able to convey it to potential listeners because it is so special and worthy of a listen. 

You will hear jingly guitars like something on a motion picture soundtrack, TV advert, or an REM like sounds. After that journey, off you go into some heavy duty Led Zeppelin like riffs as the bass, courtesy of Gerrit Thomson, and percussion, thank you Barry Mason, come crashing down like the Australian surf (you know, that area where all the great white sharks are?). As the vocals meet the music, it is as if a marriage of people and sound were prearranged in heaven somehow. The ladies that provide the sweets for the sweet (being the music of course) are Kylie Auldist, Jacinta Percy, and Wendy Rule. All of them do a magnificent job making their voices additional instruments, which is a very important factor that makes this whole thing jell into one entity that is so outside the box you cannot help but love it. Ok I think I have said my piece, check this CD out…it will be one of the best decisions you make this year to find something new and interesting in music.

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