I've known about The Cocker Spaniels for several years - Sean Padilla has been making rollocking music under the moniker for quite a while now. But this is his first 'proper' CD release, and it's one I'm going to be listening to for a while now.
Sean is a massive fan of Guided By Voices, which shows through in his obvious love of a good tune. But considering this has all been written and recorded by one guy, the music displays surprising level of sophistication. "Your Things Are in the Yard" for instance starts off with a little cheap sounding bedroom electronica but then before you know it you could be listening to a Polvo home demo, all twisting guitars and growling bass.
I say home demo because there's probably only one thing that holds this back and that's just the 'homerecording' sound - the sense that these songs aren't being played by a band and aren't being recorded in a big studio.
But this doesn't stop the sheer quality of the songs jumping out of the speakers. And the damn things never stand still - just as you're getting used to one melody, it'll jump off in a different direction, a different guitar line, a bit of choppy keyboards maybe. And let's not forget Sean's voice, high and pure, singing what sound like pretty autobiographical songs about things like being the only black guy at the indie rock show (er, "The Only Black at the Indie-Rock Show"), final exams, infidelity, and of course girls.
Somebody find this guy a band and a fat advance; they won't be sorry.
---Joe Morris, May 2004