Both:
Depeche Mode
Talking heads
Hall and Oates
Joni Mitchell
New Order
Talk Talk
Joe Jackson
The Cure
Rupert:
Jan Hammer - Black Sheep album
Joni Mitchell - hissing of summer lawns / court and spark
Van Halen -- Women and Children First / Fair Warning
Johnny Marr's special fingers and wrists
La:
Nick Drake
Early Freddy mercury, not the moustache bullshit at the end!
Kicking The National Habit' introduced Grand National to the world in a hale of post-punk plaudits. Since then the band have filled their time by touring the UK, Europe and America and releasing a compendium of B-Sides and rarities, before de-camping to France to start work on their second album proper; fuelling their creative juices with some fine red wine on the banks of the Seine. 'A Drink & A Quick Decision' is the outcome, and cements the band's place in the form guide as odds on favourites to provide the soundtrack to early 2008.
Wistful melancholia, iridescent guitar riffs and bittersweet symphonies provide the backdrop for singer Lawrence 'La' Rudd's ethereal vocals, on an album that once again rewards repeated listens. Making the kind of pop music that any discerning music lover would be happy to see dominate the charts this spring, there are numerous influences that go into a Grand National record. From indie to electro to post-punk-pop, the duo's ability to twin solid songwriting sensibilities with tight electronic productions has resulted in debut LP 'Kicking The National Habit' being heralded a national treasure.
Made up of Rupert Lyddon and Lawrence 'La' Rudd, the Grand National sound is that of a fully-fledged band, a singer / song-writer / multi-instrumentalist combination that belies the fact that they are a duo. Influenced by the likes of new wave '80s bands such as New Order and Joy Division, Grand National display a 21st century styling that places them squarely in London's eclectic and varied music scene, with a sound that is as cutting edge as it is retro.
Stand out tracks on the band's sophomore album include first single 'Animal Sounds', a pulsating pop song driven by a potent guitar riff layered with La's ghostly falsetto. 'By The Time I Get Home There Won't Be Much Of A Place For Me' ups the tempo, for a bass and percussion-heavy ditty that brings out the rockier side of the pair on a track that is destined for the UK charts. Elsewhere on the album 'Cut By The Brakes' takes the GN sound to a darker, more electro-fried place, whilst 'Joker And Clown' is full of hauntingly beautiful sensitivity.
'A Drink & A Quick Decision' is an emotive blend of introspective melodies and strangely contemporary nostalgia.
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