"This is a band whose sound fits very comfortably alongside contemporaries such as Sufjan Stevens, The Magnetic Fields, and The Decemberists yet Proud Simon has managed to carve their own little niche within this seemingly overpopulated genre" Ear Farm.
Proud Simon's newest record is an ambitious two-act whirlwind of cinematic Americana-tinged indie rock. The two sides of the record tell the story of a single summer's night, the first a testament to workaday hope, anticipation, and revelry, and the second a descent into the darkness, where good intentions find endless obsessions and temptations endure.
Paralleling this narrative, Night of Criminals moves seamlessly from uptempo pop (Clockwork On and On, Union Chains), through devastatingly dark ballads (Tar Washed Ashore, Honeymoon), on to strange accordion and violin-led gypsy chants (Tales as Tall, Second Hand Jackets). Sykes' keen drumming and Morgan's melodic McCartney-tinged bass lines transform Keenan's underlying folk tunes into pulsing, grandiose pop. At its core, Proud Simon is your traditional four-piece rock band, albeit with an extended family of talented string, brass, and woodwind players. Like Keenan's mythical Night, the overall effect is both familiar and exotic, with a streak of jagged menace and boozy unease.
“I was watching the sunrise over the condos springing up behind my apartment,” remembered Keenan, “and there was this defining moment where I could clearly see the cyclical nature of my life. No matter what happened, whether it was triumph or heartbreak, I could see the days laid out before me. This record is a year packed into that one single night." Their latest album, Night of Criminals, hits the streets this November.
Previous press:
"Americana with a chamber pop angle... whatever you prefer to name it, it's sweet with that slightly vintage, wobbly record player broadcasting a delicate folky waltz quality to it. Plus balls." CDBaby
"Made up of poignant, horn-drenched balladry and bright, wholesome pop ditties it's a record that keeps you listening throughout." Americana UK
Track Listing
1. Newspaper Boat
2. Clockwork On And On
3. Tar Washed Ashore
4. Everyone on the Train Could Use a Little Change
5. Everywhere
6. Honeymoon
7. Tales as Tall
8. Union Chains
9. Second Hand Jackets
10. One Night Stand on a Cadmium Yellow Avenue
11. Last One Left
12. Bled Red Wine
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