Jet-Set... Go! EP

With a full-length in the works, the Jet Set...Go! EP is a teaser for things yet to come from the musical workshop of Australia's Guild League. A side project of Tali White, better known as the singer/percussionist for the Lucksmiths, the Guild League exist in a world of delightful acoustic pop, drawn out in exquisite detail by White's quirky travelog-style lyrics. With a fun arrangement in line with the giggly retro-pop coming out on Elefant, "Jet Set...Go!" is a jangle pop bit featuring appearances by Richard Easton and members of Sodastream, Red Raku, and Art of Fighting. "Jet Set...Go!" comes the closest to sounding like the Lucksmiths, but it has a bit of a dark under-edge to the lyrics that the Lucksmiths don't generally have. While the title track's animated jangle nearly strays into Lucksmiths territory, the remainder of the album is more barebones than that group tends to be. "A Faraway Place" is an unexpected a cappella number that ebbs and flows as layers of White's vocals swirl in and out of the mix in round fashion. Interesting as a one-off, but not something most fans would line up to hear a full-length of. Calling to mind the understated shimmer-pop whimsy of a group like Frente! or the Sugargliders, album-closer "Cornflakes" spotlights the simple beauty of everyday things, like cornflakes, an acoustic guitar, and White's appropriately delicate vocals. ~ Karen E. Graves, Rovi