Album Notes

Like a tiny circus, Shanghai 5 fuses jazz, rock, and vaudevillian style to create a most unique sound. Shanghai 5's debut album is full of dark, whimsical, and always beautiful songs. 'Under a Tent, Under the Full Moon' is a wild and fantastic variety show, featuring the chanteuse styling of Amy Curnow, who narrates us though a cinematic underworld.

The record cleverly moves from 20's cabaret & Ennio Moricone inspired soundtracks, to exotic Latin grooves & Motown inspired ballads. On 'Golden Sound', the tape saturated sound, shimmering guitar leads, and bell bottom bass build on a rising bed of strings, and up front vocals that recall bondage & lost love. It is reminiscent of a Phil Spector production, meets Bowie in Berlin. Shanghai 5 reinvents The Cars classic 'Just What I Needed' with a ragga style and electro feel.

While the album covers a lot of territory, it keeps a uniquely cohesive feel that takes the listener into the sound, rhythm, and world of Shanghai 5. The stories are sometimes bittersweet and sinister, but a pretty song and gorgeous voice can throw you off guard.

The instrumentation features a variety of the odd and unique including; slide guitar, banjo, B3, mandolin, Moog, Theremin, found loops, sitar, live strings, Mellotron, vibes, Rhodes, upright bass, congas, and a assortment of live percussion. It makes for a fun record that always presents new things going on.