Portugal. The Man “Elephants”

I really, really could have sworn that the lead vocals on “Elephants” were performed by a woman. They struck me as so similar to the plainspoken schoolgirl-ness of the ladies from Fiery Furnaces and Architecture in Helsinki as to be obvious (I’m sure the band loves me right now…) But Portugal. The Man is all dudes, through and through–just with remarkably unique singing voices. And while they may resemble the sonic goulash of the aforementioned artists, they’re clearly making their own space on their great debut Waiter: You Vultures! (if not solely by means of liberal punctuation). There are hints of discordant punk, folk, twee, and a tinge of the avant-garde to be found among the songs, and one of the singers even lapses into a little Lenny Kravitz at the end of this song. So much for being chicks.

Dig Portugal. The Man’s MySpace here. Waiter: You Vultures! drops on Fearless Records January 24, and you can grab it here.

Filed under: Portugal the Man