Scottish band Gum released their debut album \'Low-flying Kites\' to excellent reviews in 2003.
Featuring a clutch of great tunes and some spooky atmospherics, the album brought the mellifluous vocals of Leigh Myles to a wider audience, with sales in Australia, the US, Japan and New Zealand, as well as in the UK.
Punchier and even more radio-friendly than the debut album, ‘Seven Feeble Alibis’ occupies a more muscular territory than its predecessor. Imagine Aimee Mann going for the jugular by way of Zero 7 and you’re halfway there. There are some beautifully downbeat moments too, framed within the usual dreamy Gum soundscapes. Leigh’s voice is seductive throughout, but the addition of multi-layered backing vocals lifts the killer choruses to truly dizzying heights.
With the various members currently working on other projects, Gum may be in a period of hibernation, but their reputation continues to grow.
As ‘Is this Music?’ magazine put it: ‘Leigh Myles is a weapon of mass distraction, with a voice that could stop wars … she’s a star waiting to happen’.
Read more...