I always thought a band called Gauntlet Hair was supposed to sound busted — nasty noise shoved into the red made by greasy dudes and the knobs they love to twiddle. Turns out they make crazy-compressed positive pop with all those shimmery post-psychedelia guitar arpeggio turns that scream “This is Animal Collective's territory, and cheered up bands like Gauntlet Hair just rent.” Sure, it's cheap to compare every man with a full-throated bellowing vocal style to Panda Bear, and to say every major arpeggio is owned by his papa band (Gauntlet Hair would like you to think of Durutti Column), but look on the bright side: overshadowed avant bands won't have to deal with being hated like the next Radiohead.
Back to the point, Gauntlet Hair's new single “Top Bunk” is very pretty, particularly the three-minute mark breakdown, where the major-sevenths and synth washes really bow down to the AnCo Emperor.
Gauntlet Hair have a self-titled record out in October on Secretly Canadian.
