Have What You’ve Got / Mr Picture Perfect / I Can See A Rainbow / This Is Not A Circular / A Most Impressive Selection / Barbara Bach / String Thing / When California Began / Baxter’s Revenge / From The Heart / Face The Colours / Seagus

CONSOLE RECORDINGS

Managing to sound like the loved-up results of a one night stand between Pink Floyd, Scissor Sisters, The Verve and The Polyphonic Spree, The Rainbow Family are a Scottish duo bridging the gaps between psychedelia, pop and dance.

Opening number from their debut album THIS IS NOT A CIRCULAR, HAVE WHAT YOU'VE GOT is a bombastic orchestral orgy of sound that imagines ELO getting up close and personal with The Flaming Lips.  AM radio melodies brush up against orchestral flourishes and angelic backing choirs, The Rainbow Family clearly not shy of the odd bold statement or two.  I CAN SEE A RAINBOW is another euphoric moment of intergalactic space rock, this time round hypnotic synths and robotic chants swirling around in the background as uplifting vocals provide the hooks.

BARBARA BACH sounds like a long lost Beach Boys song rediscovered and reinterpreted by The Polyphonic Spree, psychedelic orchestral swoons creating suitably epic statements whilst on the wild eyed pop of STRING THING, The Rainbow Family make out like a space rocking, prog version of the Scissor Sisters.  WHEN CALIFORNIA BEGAN is a pretty pop tune centred around sweet keyboard effects and handclaps while the expansive BAXTER'S REVENGE takes those Beach Boys influences and gives them another sonic makeover; swirling synth effects and cascading harmonies colliding wondrously.

FROM THE HEART has nursery rhyme melodies tangled up in psychedelic beats and ticks whilst FACE THE COLOURS is slick MOR pop in the Supertramp, Steely Dan vein; sugary melodies and falsetto choruses bringing back those Scissor Sisters comparisons.

There's a psychedelic haze running through the music of The Rainbow Family, a haze works wonders when combined with their Beach Boys-esque melodicism.  THIS IS NOT A CIRCULAR is an album that's bold, ambitious and expansive; The Rainbow Family creating music that reaches for the stars and all too frequently goes way beyond what you could ever hope for.

Rainbow Family are Barry Christie and Marco Rea, and together they shine a ray of sonic sunlight in these dark and dangerous times. Looking back to a time when life was simpler and the tunes were better, Rainbow Family combine the organic and electronic to create a future pop sound that sparkles with melody, honesty and inspiration.

Barry grew up in Edinburgh and Marco in Glasgow, but that is where the similarities end. After a childhood spent bent over a classical guitar, the young Barry happily discovered the joys of sampling and threw himself wholeheartedly into the worlds of house and electronica. With over a hundred tracks released under guises including Milton Jackson, Napoleon Solo and The Pretty Boys (a collaboration with Scot producer du jour Mylo) it is fair to say that he knows his way around a studio.

After being inspired by the musical madness on The Muppet Show, Marco spent his childhood learning to play pretty much any instrument that came his way. A career in music naturally followed, with his bands The Marbles and then Palomino gigging all over the globe and working with production legends including Trevor Horn and Ron St Germain(whose credits include Aretha Franklin and Jimi Hendrix).

The meeting of these two musical minds came about as a result of a truly cosmic interlude. Barry was walking his dog on a pleasant summer's day and came across Marco playing his guitar in his garden. A few cups of tea later and they knew that something magical was happening - the Rainbow Family was born. Sharing a love of 50s exotica, The Beach Boys and Phil Spector along with contemporary acts such as Lemon Jelly, The Beta Band and DJ Shadow, the pair set to work creating a sound where angelic choirs from the 1950s ride atop intricate beats, and aching vocal harmonies hold hands with childlike choruses.

The Rainbow EP is the duo's first release, and across its five tracks clearly defines the Rainbow Family sound. With lyrics that celebrate the every day, and melodies that come from another world, Rainbow Family tread a deliciously fine line between innocence and experience, naivety and knowledge. With the finishing touches currently being applied to their debut album, and live dates just around the corner, Rainbow Family could just be the pot of gold that we've all been waiting for.

Marco Rea

Barry Christie

THIS IS NOT A CIRCULAR (Console Sounds>2007)

Have What You’ve Got

Mr Picture Perfect

I Can See A Rainbow

This Is Not A Circular

A Most Impressive Selection

Barbara Bach

String Thing

When California Began

Baxter’s Revenge

From The Heart

Face The Colours

Seagus

The Rainbow Family>www.rainbowfamilymusic.com

The Polyphonic Spree

The Flaming Lips

The Beach Boys