Song of the Day: Gringo Star - Get Closer

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “Get Closer” by Gringo Star, from their 2016 album, The Sides and in Between, on My Anxious Mouth / Nevado Music Inc.

Gringo Star - Get Closer (MP3)Four albums out and critics are still just as likely to allude to The Kinks and Rolling Stones as they are to Motown when describing Gringo Star. It's a testament to the Atlanta four-piece's dedication to wandering a vast landscape of influences. The group was started by brothers Peter and Nicholas Furgiuele, who credit much of their musical upbringing to their Granddad who promoted R&B in a still very segregated 50's and 60's. Their willingness to take on a broad musical identity while still maintaining the sparse minimalism that makes garage rock so appealing sets them apart from the fuzz and deserves credit for the success of their newest album The Sides and in Between. The album takes listeners on a tour of distorted guitars, doo-wop choruses and sunny sentiments and is equally as fit for the boardwalk as it is a dim garage. It's a flexible project both in its refusal to conform and in its broad appeal. Song of the day and album cut "Get Closer" is an excellent example as it begins with a strolling indie-darling verse before exploding into a swinging, surf-infused chorus. Variant as it may be, the track, like the album it resides in, is a coherently fun adventure from start to finish.

Gringo Star wrapped up a US tour last fall and is currently on tour in Europe, but keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for their eventual return. In the meantime, check out the video for "Get Closer" below: