Artist: People Get Ready

Title: People Get Ready

Label: Brassland

Rating: 7.3

The idea for Brooklyn based band People Get Ready formed in the summer of 2009 when Steve Reker met with Luke Fasano (Yeasayer) and, sensing a creative bond, set out to start a project that combined music, dance and performance. Jen Goma (A Sunny Day in Glasgow) and James Rickman (Slow Gherkin) joined in the summer of 2010 and the line up was complete and ready for an innovative and artistic collaboration.

Following a successful show featuring five musicians and dancers, the band held a winter residency at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center where they added movement pieces, projections and live music and in turn named their creation a multi-sensory “mix-tape”. Since then, the New York Times has called People Get Ready’s work “an experience beyond hearing music in a club or viewing a dance” and have also been playing more traditional shows in regular musical venues.

Their self titled debut album People Get Ready is a happy, experimental set of tracks and as their group name suggests, full of anticipation. Opening track “Windy Cindy” is a jangly, driving number with high pitched, whimsical vocals whilst “New June” is slightly harsher, with minor chord melodies and Goma coming in on the vocals. “Three Strangers” is reminiscent of the Dirty Projectors with it’s combination of male and female, raw, heart felt vocals, the percussion is vast and includes hand claps and snaps and make-shift drum noises. “Orange Grove” is a sweeping track with strings, organ and more of those varied percussion sounds.

In “Shoe” the lead singer asks; “Where are my people? Where are my people? I cannot find the answer, I cannot find the answer” followed by Goma’s fast paced and light hearted “da da da’s”.  “Mr.Shoulders” is guitar heavy, with a steady rhythm and soothing vocals whilst “Zelda Maria” is a calm song with more vocals from Goma, she sings; “Isn’t it funny how things have been? Oh the shapes we make” with wistful tones. And whether it’s performance based music or music made for listening to in your bedroom, People Got Ready have got a special DIY sound full of interesting percussion, catchy melodies and vocals that haven’t been over worked.

Reviewed by Heather Welsh.