Album Notes

Wallpaper - NZ Musician Feb/Mar 2010

HOT CLUB SANDWICH: Wallpaper

Everyone likes a good sandwich, and they don't get much gooder than the Hot Club variety. On their seventh release 'Wallpaper', Terry Crayford demonstrates his usual tasteful bass and piano, contributing lead vocals to one song. Nils Olsen sings a few, and his sax weaves melodically through the mix. But what's this? A distorted guitar sound? Yes, the Sandwich take an unusual direction on My Daughter's Got a Boyfriend, in keeping with the song's subject matter. Don't worry, they're still a fair distance from Slipknot territory. Andrew London debuts his banjo skills, and shows us yet again that he's one of the wittiest songwriters NZ has produced, although for a change he sounds a little bummed on the title track, which bemoans the plight of a band that's been hired to blend into the background. Next time you see HCS, make sure you at least make eye contact with them every half hour or they might give up. Seriously, there's little chance you'll be ignoring musicians this good, no matter what the venue. As usual, they have made an album that's easy to listen to without being twee – full of top quality musicianship, good vibes and good humour. • Bing Turkby