Thursday 20 October 2022

Elite Gymnastics - Snow Flakes 2022

Elite Gymnastics are back! I did not expect to ever write that again. Ten years ago a household name in the blogosphere, they released a handful of cult EPs, a vinyl compilation and then faded into the void. Now, with an altered line-up (Josh left, and got replaced by Viri Char, with Jaime Brooks at the helm), the band published a long overdue debut album entitled "Snow Flakes 2022". To contextualize this return, I suggest reading Jamie's tumblr post here, it gives a much needed insight into Elite G'z history. James Rettig from Steregum saved me some research time by pointing out that the LP features new versions of many older songs that came out between 2009 and 2013: "Here In Heaven", "Andreja 4-Ever" (aka "Chloe 4-Ever"), and "Omamori". On her Bandcamp page Jamie uses following tags to describe the album: break folk, counterpop, musicpunk, paramericana and undiscovered country, which may give you a rough idea of what to expect here. Basically if you were a fan of their incredible run a decade ago, you will love this continuation of the project. The tracks are multilayered, creative and simply enjoyable, worth a multiple listen which will allow you to discover all the intricacies of the production. Don't sleep on this one.

Buy the album here, and stream it below.