A beautifully developed blast of pop that leaves the unprepared listener slackja
author: Ed Bumgardner, Relish Now!, Winston Salem Journal
Greensboro, NC's Creamy Velour is proof that you can't judge a band by its name. Creamy Velour evokes images of a garage-bound band playing bad psychedelia. But the band's new Angel's Guise is such a beautifully developed blast of pop that it leaves the unprepared listener slack-jawed.
The disc, recorded in Greensboro, sounds incredible. The arrangements are close to perfection, filled with dynamic swells and accenting flourishes of instrumentation that add drama to the best of songs, many of which cart a spiritual undertone.
Singer Jon Witteveen is blessed with an innate sense of how to convey a song and a vocal range that, believe it or not, often begs comparison to that of the late Jeff Buckley.
The songs are pop, but they are never obvious. Songs rarely move in any sort of predictable progression, and virtually all the melodies are memorable.
This band and this album are too good to waste in the machinery of a major label, but they are also too fine to loiter in anonymity. All bands should be faced with such problems (but change the name).
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Each song could easily make any band a huge hit and they’re armed with twelve of
author: J-Sin, Smother.net
North Carolina natives Creamy Velour open things up with a “Pablo Honey”-esque song that leads into something of a Coldplay vein. I know tons of major labels that are actively searching for something exactly like this, and I’ll tell you right now that if this band got the proper opportunity you could be watching their Grammy acceptance speech soon. “To Love Like You” is a better song a thousand-times over than 95% of what’s on popular radio. And this is precisely why the independent scene boasts some of the best music ever created. But it’s a crime if this band isn’t platinum selling in the near future (so Klank Records better properly prepare themselves). Each song could easily make any band a huge hit and they’re armed with twelve of these gems!
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"...undoubtedly one of the debuts of the year."
author: Kevin Mathews
I must confess that the moment the slide guitar hits on the opening “To Love Like You,” I was sold on Creamy Velour’s wonderful debut release. These 12 tracks arrive after three aborted attempts with more than 20 songs recorded, and the band wisely decided to leave intact the ‘cream’ of the crop.
At its core, Angel Guise is highly eclectic and catholic, building from an emotional & spiritual musical base; atmospheric & visceral pop constructs that suit its lyrical concerns to a T.
On the heartfelt folky “Sweet Salvation,” the underpinnings of faith are revealed – “I need redemption,” likewise on the country-bluesy “Hey Jesus” vocalist Jon Witteveen pleads for divine assistance – “Can You lend a helping hand?”
On the mildly spry “Raise the Flag,” the sweet pop melodies belie the earnest message – “Pull out all the stops and bleed,” similarly the melancholy “Sha La La” suggests a ray of hope underneath the gloom – “I wanna have fun/Don’t wanna do the things that need to get done.”
Angel Guise is an album that must be savored all the way – front to back – for the intensity of its music and for the integrity of its lyrics, undoubtedly one of the debuts of the year. A+
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"plays out like an honors class in song construction"
author: Rick Cornell, Notes From Home, Record Exchange Music Monitor
On the brand new Angel's Guise, Greensboro, NC's Creamy Velour try out a variety of identities as their often smart and always tuneful rock suggests the likes of U2 and Queen in low-bombast gear, Counting Crows in atmospheric roots mode, and, on the excellent opener "To Love Like You," early Radiohead going from a whisper to a coniption a la "Creep." "Last Bastion" gets an appreciative nod for bringing to mind the Tin Pan Alley meets Gasoline Alley pop of Ron Sexsmith. But best of all is "Sha La La" which plays out like an honors class in song construction thanks to lush harmonies, well-placed handclaps, an adhesive backbeat, and, you guessed it, some perfect sha-la-la's.
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