The notion of a concept album is by no means new. But how many bands can say they are singing automatons programmed to entertain you? Steam Powered Giraffe is a band with a fix on a whole new genre of music. Dressing up as steam-punk robots (with almost disturbingly robotic movements), these performers have a backstory to each of their characters, all of which peek out through lyrics of their hypnotizing songs.
What kind of music do they play? The band’s music is a never-before seen mix of the electro feel of Daft Punk meets a cappella barbershop quartet meets an almost folk-acoustic melody. The vocals of the three singers – The Spine, The Jon and Rabbit – dance around each other in a mesmerizing harmony, and the melodies are sure to be stuck in your head for hours to come.
On its first album, _Album One_, Steam Powered Giraffe makes its mark as it shoots for the stars, choosing not to play safe for its first record. Some might say it’s a risky move, especially considering the band is not backed by a producing company, but it paid off very well. Its songs stretch from the utter nonsense of “Ice Cream Parade” (My horse is the greatest horse / ’cause it’s not really a horse at all! / It’s more like a tortilla / on top of another tortilla) to the ballad “Captain Albert Alexander,” who led an impressive nautical life and gracefully accepted his death at sea when lightning struck his ship. There’s also a more serious song that makes you think of dancing lightning, “Electricity Is in My Soul” (I know you don’t like how I feed / but please try to remember / it’s natural for a thing like me. / Electricity is in my / soul).
The only bad thing to be said for the album is the lack of the listener’s ability to relate to the songs’ contents. But that just serves to make the album more fantastical, more of a work of art. The music is sure to enrapture and entertain you, and should you see the musician’s performances on YouTube, the street art of their early-roots acting troupe is sure to amaze you and make you think the performers really are robots.
