Special bonus, non-album mp3! "Under the Branches" was recorded during The Guilty Office sessions but only appeared on a out-of-print limited edition split 7". Enjoy!

THE BATS: Formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1982 by Robert Scott, bassist for the massively influential band The Clean, as an outlet for his songs when he thought The Clean had split for good. He became guitarist and prime vocalist, while ex-Toy Love member Paul Kean took on bass. Malcolm Grant became drummer and guitarist Kaye Woodward (Minisnap) provided the gleaming harmony vocals would come to be a defining presence in the band. Signing to New Zealand's hottest indie label of the era, Flying Nun, The Bats went on to release three EP’s, seven albums and two compilations as well as numerous singles and videos. The Bats have amassed plenty of fans close to home and afar, particularly in USA.

THE SOUND: What is it about The Bats that we all know and love? Is it the fragile but determined vocals, the ringing psychedelic guitar jangle or the chunky rhythms that seem quintessentially “New Zealand Indie”; remote, cool, spacious, unusual but strangely familiar? Or is it the oddly melancholic yet optimistic, distant but touching sound? Whatever it is, alongside a select group of other Kiwi rock & pop bands, The Bats have a unique sound that has captured the imagination of multitudes.

THE ALBUM: For their seventh studio album The Bats continue to refine and develop their own idiosyncratic path, whilst also adding fresh sparkle and new ideas. The strings and additional instruments come to the fore, such as on the first single “Castle Lights”, and Robert Scott’s songwriting has become particularly strong on tracks such as “Countersign” and “Crimson Enemy”. The band have come up with an album that shines among their best.

THE REVIEW: "It's hard to go wrong with the Bats. For more than two decades, this New Zealand foursome have been a stunning model of consistency, with their albums serving as prime examples of that much-loved kiwi pop jangle. And The Guilty Office is no exception... Just the Bats sounding as great as ever." Exclaim Magazine :: February 2009

MORE reviews below the pic & vid]

WFMU: Streaming an excellent live recording of The Bats at Primavera Festival, 2009.

Pitchfork: "The band hasn't tinkered with its signature chiming guitars and surging straight-ahead rhythms. But why fix a formula that works? From melodic, bobbing lead "Countersign" to bucolic closer "The Orchard", Office is a comfortable, comforting listen, wonderful in its very familiarity." (7.5)

Agit Reader (interview): "Stuck away at the bottom of the world could be an advantage."

Popmatters: "Over seven full lengths, the Bats have not only perfected their own melancholy sound, but they've remained a vital and strikingly consistent pop band. One listen to The Guilty Office makes that clear."

Prefix Mag: "The Guilty Office also shows a willingness to expand things a bit."

Big Takeover: "This is definitely an album that rewards repeated spins."

Washington City Paper: "Few can work a Velvet Underground riff as tenderly."

Flavorpill/Flavorwire interviews Robert Scott.

Blurt Magazine: "Simple riffs, angelic harmonies & dreamy atmosphere."

Dusted: "Across 26 years and seven albums, the Bats have been quite consistent. Each tune has a crisp beat driven by the unstoppable rhythm section of Paul Kean and Malcolm Grant, an economical guitar melody by Kaye Woodward, and a sweet-sad lyric delivered in a matching voice.... [The Guilty Office] renders the familiar in sharper detail."

All Music Guide: "Songs that burrow into your consciousness and settle in for a long visit."

The Times UK: "A perfect example of old-school melancholy indie pop."

Maximum Ink: "Shimmering indie innocence swung around frenzied, art-punk thunder."

Uncut Magazine UK: "Defiantly lo-fi romanticism."

Mojo Magazine UK: "Byrdsian chimes and the freewheeling grooves of the VU's Loaded."

Aversion: "Straightforward songwriting executed with amazing subtlety."

Sounds XP: "Indiepop heaven"

The Line of Best Fit: "Like folk rock played in a charged atmosphere."

One Track Mind

Prefix Mag (preview)

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