Pitchfork

An ode to a cheesy crinitory confection (As Seen on TV!)-- not to mention one of the worst portmanteaus ever to see print-- the Brunettes' "Her Hairagami Set" is a somewhat auspicious Sub Pop start for the Auckland outfit, who've already rallied a small cult following Stateside on the strength of a tour with the Shins and a handful of import-only indie pop LPs and EPs heavy on both jangle and sass.

Somewhat, because whether you dig this or not will probably hinge on whether you can handle the highly-affected bramble of guitarist Jonathan Bree, who plays the Phaedra role in this "Some Velvet Morning"-esque sonic setup. Rather than strum along like "Velvet", however, this one builds and swells from a simple piano line to a lush vine-network of instrumentation, with Heather Mansfield's charmingly cooed litany of hairdos more than making up for any absence of jangle.

Stream: > The Brunettes: "Her Hairagami Set"
[from the forthcoming Structure and Cosmetics LP; out summer 2007 on Sub Pop]

Photo by Milana Radojcic