Pale Young Gentlemen: Pale Young Gentlemen

Pale Young Gentlemen: Pale Young Gentlemen
self-released: 4/2/2007

Considering the emergence and relative success of a number Central and Eastern European-influenced bands in the past few years, one might think that authentic music from this region would become popular in the West, too. Sadly, this has not yet happened. I can't help but feel bad for praise-worthy bands in places like Romania and Hungary that are struggling to achieve notoriety outside their homelands, while American groups are benefiting from coopting inidgenous sounds and making them more culturally palatable for Western audiences.

This guilt is short-lived, though, as groups like Pale Young Gentlemen make such amazing and inventive music. Pale Young Gentlemen are somewhat more moderate in temperament than their peers - less somber than Beirut, less circusy than Man Man. This is not to say that their music is any less enthralling than that of their contemporaries. Their debut is rich with literary narratives and extravagant arrangements. I'm awestruck at how a self-released debut can sound so professional that it outshines almost all of the music released this year by scene veterans on both indie and major labels.