Algernon Doll - Aerosol by abadgeoffriendship

Ewan Grant, AKA Algernon Doll, returns with the track 'Aerosol', taken from Citalo-pop, the follow-up to debut album Camomile and released on 10th June 2013 via Common Records.

While last years debut mirrored Ewan’s difficulty in dealing with the toils of extreme anxiety disorder and bipolar, Citalo-pop immediately offered up something fresh in comparison with the inclusion of fuzzy grunge-esque guitars, distorted, layered vocals and Algernon Doll’s trademark off-kilter alt-folk sound exhibited in his previous releases.

Evoking the spirit of the likes of Red House Painters on Old Ramon, Mark Lanegan and Elliot Smith, Algernon Doll continued to display a maturity beyond his years by executing such a rich texture to his songwriting - something many of his contemporaries would aspire to achieve.

Opening album tracks ‘Anti-them’ and free download ‘Cassini’, marked an immediate change in direction - a freer feeling from the more introspective debut produced last year. Up tempo, distorted guitars soar throughout, with driven incessant drumming and time changes galore, all brought together by Grant’s emotionally charged vocals. Even the dreamier ‘Home- schooled’, which has a far more ominous feeling, illustrates the direction Algernon Doll has taken as the track builds slowly into a visceral, heavy outro spearheaded by Grant’s expressive guitar playing and intense vocals.

Citalo-pop was a vehicle for Grant to expel his dark outlook on life while allowing him to tap into his punk and hardcore background, thus creating an unsettled sound, one that keeps the listener on their toes throughout the 13 tracks found on the album.

This last year has been an exciting time for Algernon Doll. Having released his debut album, as well as supporting the likes of Franz Nicolay (Against Me), Chris T-T, Esperi and Willis Earl Beal, he followed that up with another expertly crafted record. By assembling a full band for live shows to replicate the bigger sound produced on the album, Algernon Doll also added another dimension to his project.