Gazpacho’s new album Tick Tock worth hearing, buying

Although some may not have heard them, the Norwegian band Gazpacho has been present in the music community since 1996 with their brand of alternative rock. Their sixth album, Tick Tock, was recently released, and while some songs are not the bands greatest, the professionalism present on the album, combined with the price, makes it a worthy steal.

The thing that immediately catches one’s attention is the similarity between the voice of the lead vocalist, Jan-Henrik Ohme and that of Muse frontman, Chris Wolstenholme. Some of the songs are, in the way they are performed, reminiscent of Muse as well. While this could seem to some as an alternative to Black Holes and Revelations, Tick Tock doesn’t present Gazpacho as a Muse-like band, nor does it try to do so. The tracks come across as similar but still provide something of their own.

The first track is perhaps the strongest on the album.  Emotion emanates from the song: violin, bass, guitar, drums and the like harmonize to create a great sound.  While not fully indicating the nature of the album, it serves as a good start.

For the better, this album is not radio-friendly. With seven tracks, the shortest of which, “Clocks,” is it at just under five minutes, one is sure to get a lengthy amount of listening time in before track one gets ready to play again.

Repetition factors in before the album is completely over. Some tracks have a continuing sequel or even a trilogy in the process.

This means that the base rhythm of certain songs will repeat themselves later on during listening. This can be a bit of an aural hindrance sometimes, but can be vaguely dismissed.

This is a good album to pick up if you are a little strapped for cash and decent music.  Amazon.com and iTunes both sell mp3 versions of the album for less than $10, which is something of a steal.

A hard copy could cost as much as $17.99, so it may make sense to listen to the songs on YouTube or to something to that effect until the price drops.  Either way, it is still worth a listen.