The ''Gospel Claws EP'' is the first studio recording released by the indie rock band

Gospel Claws Gospel Claws is an indie rock band based out of Tempe, Arizona. History Origins After leaving Dear and the Headlights in 2007, Gospel Claws lead-singer and guitarist Joel Marquard returned to his job as a delivery-man for FedEx.Grimm, Beca''Best ...

. It was released on February 16, 2009 by

Common Wall Media Common Wall Media is an independent record label, film production, and media company based in Mesa, Arizona. It is owned and operated by Chuckie Duff, former Dear and the Headlights bassist and current co-owner of Flying Blanket Recording. Histo ...

Album information

Members of Gospel Claws that appear on this record are: Joel Marquard, Scott Hall, Wesley Hilsabeck, John Michael Mulhern, and Sloan Walters. This album was produced and recorded at Flying Blanket Recording by

Bob Hoag Bob Hoag is an American record producer, songwriter and musician based in Mesa, Arizona. In 2005, he was recruited to be the pianist and keyboardist for American rock band The Ataris. Career Hoag wrote songs for his group, The Go Reflex, as well a ...

. This record's cover art was created and designed by Chuckie Duff at

. According to Duff, he designed the cover "in Apple Motion, dropped it out to nold VHS cam and then took a picture of the TV."

Reception

Critical reception

This first recorded effort received modest to positive reviews. The reviewer at Absolutepunk was quite impressed by

' debut recording. In the Gospel Claws EP, he found "catchy hooks, impressive instrumentation, and solid harmonies.". In the end, he found it "extremely impressive to hear something so refreshing within today’s music scene. Not one filler track can be found on here." Brandon Nolta at Boise Weekly was equally impressed, enjoying its "new-retro vibe like the Strokes without falling down the fuzzy production rabbit hole."Nolta, Brandon
''Gospel Claws: Gospel Claws'', Boise Weekly, July 1, 2009
retrieved 2012-04-08 Finding that "even their weak stuff is stronger than a lot of bands can manage" he would conclude that Gospel Claws is "well worth your currency, no matter how inscrutable their name." This record caught a bit of attention among the college radio stations as well. At WLUR (

Washington and Lee , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...

's radio station), the critic found that while " is isn't a change-your-life-it's-so-good band, . . . they're doing something worth acknowledging and checking out." While making comparisons to the likes of

My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket is an American rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The ba ...

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

, and

Camera Obscura A camera obscura (; ) is a darkened room with a aperture, small hole or lens at one side through which an image is 3D projection, projected onto a wall or table opposite the hole. ''Camera obscura'' can also refer to analogous constructions su ...

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

's WGTB radio found that for their first EP,

still seemed to be doing a lot of experimenting. WRUV at the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

tended to agree, that this EP showed that the group was still experimenting with its sound, but still really enjoyed the "edginess/uniqueness of the last track– 'Don’t Let it Die'"WRUV Reviews, July 25, 2010
retrieved 2012-04-08

Track listing

References

{{reflist

External links

Gospel Claws

Common Wall Media
2009 EPs Indie rock EPs EPs by American artists Gospel Claws albums