When Gentleman Auction House released its debut EP The Rules Were Handed Down, comparisons were inevitable. In 2006, any band with more than five co-ed members, at least one keyboard, and loads of percussion was sure to be compared to any number of critically adored Canadian collectives. But on the band’s first full-length release Alphabet Graveyard, it becomes immediately clear that as a songwriter, Eric Enger has no intention of following any rules handed down by the indie-rock establishment, or for his band to take up the mantle of the next poster-children for derivative indie-collectivism. Graveyard manages to retain the tender and emotive melodies and impeccably tasteful arrangements that have always been the most endearing components in the Gentleman Auction House sound, but new explorations of everything from reggae-infused rhythms to jangly Motown guitar flourishes find a home on this full-length debut. The band dares to navigate these uncharted waters and manages a logical progression to a very new place where solemn folk ballads, epic mood pieces and infectiously danceable pop very naturally find themselves on common ground.
http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/66569.html
