Green eyes given to fly

May 27 2008 by Andrew Welsh

IF there’s any justice, arty US rockers The Envy Corps will be massive.

Dwell, the Iowa quartet’s debut long-player is a hugely ambitious set that recalls, in places, Radiohead, Coldplay and James.

But that’s not to say, despite their name, that there’s anything derivative about these lads - their album is nothing if not unique.

Just as you think you’re in for a yearning ballad on opener Wires and Wool, frontman Luke Petipoole’s plaintive vocals give way to a foot-stomping anthem, setting the tone for a series of cooly executed surprises at almost every turn.

Proving their range, The Envy Corps can do epic (Keys To Good Living), dance (99,100) and, of course, emotional introspection worthy of Thom Yorke (Rooftop).

As for the frenetic Syvia (The Beekeeper) - a three-minute ode to dead poet Sylvia Plath - they have come up with quite simply one of the best songs of the year so far.

Taster single Story Problem strongly recalls Tim Booth and his James cohorts, while Party Dress is U2 meets The Killers, but with subtlety and style.

Throughout, Petipoole’s often erudite lyrics add to the enigmatic qualities of an articulate and elegant album that makes for supremely rewarding listening.

Dwell is conclusive proof that the band have taken the blow that was guitarist Brandon Darner’s on-stage stroke last autumn on the chin.

With Darner now fully recovered, on this evidence a healthy future for The Envy Corps seems almost assured.