Pitchfork

MySpace might tell you different, but Sly Hats is the solo sojourn of Melbourne's Geoff O'Connor, singer and songwriter for gentle indie-pop giants Crayon Fields. "I wanted to be an acquired taste," O'Connor recalls on the eponymous title track of his baroque-pop Sly Hats debut, Liquorice Night. Sung over spare guitar and lounge-lizard organs, the line comes as a contrast to the singer's Zombies-like main gig, with whom O'Connor admits, "I want to be famous, gee." His high, faltering voice gets help on "Liquorice Night" from breathy guest vocalist Nisa Venerosa, of Melbourne experimental three-piece Fabulous Diamonds.

What's more, Melbourne electronic producer Muscles has remixed Sly Hat's "Vampire Sips". The revamped track applies the Ed Banger signature-- compress it all and let God sort 'em out-- to cooing female guest vocals and O'Connor's relaxed, double-tracked murmur, lending an explosive charge. Over-the-top drum stomps and trancey synths nudge the song from kitsch to Kitsuné. O'Connor will give U.S. audiences a chance to acquire a taste for him (or make him famous, gee) on tour this July with Lloyd & Michael and Chapter Music chief Guy Blackman. For dates and more free mp3s, visit O'Connor's-- excuse me, Kamerah 'Hats' Darling's-- MySpace page.

[originally from Liquorice Night, out now on Nervous Jerk]