Sometimes you can just tell where a band is from by their sound and the Bourgeois Gypsies just had to be from California. "Faulty Fairytales" is their second album and, without prejudicing the result of this review, I'm wondering how I managed to miss their first one.
Sonically, this is a laidback and mellow sounding album. Not that it would send you to sleep; more it never seems to be making any particular effort to grab your attention. But grab your attention it does. It's not the collection of soft rock songs that might have formed your initial impression. Listening to this album, I came to the conclusion that the Bourgeois Gypsies were born of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band only without the English eccentricity but with - for want of a better description - California soul. The Steely Dan stylings of "Stayed Out Late" and the sardonic pleasures brought by Kaisa MacDonald's vocals on "Dry Land" evoke the west coast while the sinuous yet offbeat "Train Song" demonstrates that the Bourgeois Gypsies certainly don't lack imagination or an ability to experiment. As a band, they just never put a foot wrong.
So if you're seeking musical excellence then you've come to the right place. If you're seeking intelligence in song writing then you've also come to the right place. If you hate the blandness in your music then this delicately seasoned and ever so slightly offbeat album will make you very happy. Easily matching major label product, well played and with the build quality of an Audi, this album ticks all the boxes.