Gypsy & the Cat: Gilgamesh – review

There's enough falsetto-vocaled synthpop currently emanating from the Antipodes (see also: Empire of the Sun, The Naked and Famous) to comprise a mini-trend; Melbourne duo Gypsy & the Cat's twist is their soft-rock streak, which enrobes silky electro-pop in layers of guitar and dreamy harmonies. Lionel Towers and Xavier Bacash were originally club DJs, and subtly underpin conventional rock instruments with beats and loops for a finished product that's polished and lush. If it sounds as if it was wholly built from slices of MGMT, Steely Dan and Boston, that's not necessarily a problem: what's actually wrong with an album "inspired" by Boston's empire-building choruses or MGMT's glimmering electro-disco? These elements contribute to a collection of strong songs with hooks that are only a Radio 2 playlisting away from embedding themselves in the UK consciousness. The single Time to Wander and the high-kicking Jona Vark are particularly pleasing.