Striking, intelligent music requires a certain level of passion, integrity and commitment. It also has to sidestep the ever-shadowing monument of self-important arrogance and a bloated sense of worth to be truly special. Understandably, it’s not often that the mixture is captured and distilled into an album that consistently lives up to the billing ‘great’. Luckily, Gosteleradio have concocted a remarkably poised, grandiose vision of sweeping, spectral pop that is nothing short of remarkable.

Great Deeds Against the Dead encapsulates a dreamscape of momentous historical moments – both mythological and real – captured by an overarching imagination, the final resting place in the underworld of the virtuous and just, musings on the nature of death through the eyes of a prisoner just about to be put to death via guillotine and assorted other philosophical and historical curios that aren’t typical associated with rock ‘n’ roll. But then, rock ‘n’ roll this isn’t quite – it’s a rolling, roiling mass of dreamy pop, psychedelic in nature and execution, if not adhering to the usual tenets of that genre.

Because. Across Great Deeds Against The Dead’s lush, pastoral soundscapes, there’s nary a hint of self-important tedium; the pit that far too many bands dealing with psychedelic tendencies fall into. Instead, it’s a measured trip into imager heavy mythological moments (A Thousand Ships, Elysian Fields), fictionalised shards og historically-important times (Guillotine, Crimean War Song, Glass Clouds), and incredibly poignant insights into accounts of wide-scale revenge (The Reprisal).

It’s all very heady, sure, but dealt with in a way that isn’t condescending, in any way boring, nor is it facetious; it’s instead given a personalised touch, whereby the subject matter is delivered through the eyes of the characters involved, setting an emotional tone that is consistent throughout. In being able to shut themselves away from the pressures of initially being a ‘band’ proper (playing shows and whatnot) the instigators behind Gosteleradio, brothers Ben and Josh Strong have been given the freedom to let their imagination run free (before they recruited drummer Marty Umanski).

Luckily for us, their talent in crafting a story played out as a tune is undeniable, and they somehow side-step the snares of self-indulgence inherent within prog-ish psychedelia by latching onto some amazing pop moments.

That’s what’s so critical here – sure, there are Floydian-dreamy moments on the likes of The Reprisal, Guillotine and Elysian Fields – but they’re held together by some breath-taking melodies. In fact, there are moments of sheer beauty that move the soul interspersed throughout the hallucinogenic soundscapes; you could easily be wandering the breadth of old-world Europe with this providing the soundtrack.

Amid this epic work of idyllic pop, though, there are flashed where the tone perhaps could’ve gone a touch more muscular, but it’s a slight worry, and one that can be placed in a ‘what if’ bin, alongside thoughts of how Chamberlain could’ve dealt with an aggressive Germany better, or what if Fev simply had’ve gone home early on Brownlow night.

Instead, what should be concentrated on is just how self-assured and remarkable Great Deeds Against The Dead is; few bands can boast a debut as scintillating or poised. It’s a rare and extraordinary effort, one that ought to be widely feted, without restraint.

Jaymz Clements

Gosteleradio 'The Reprisal'