GNAC

Gnac (pronounced "knee-ak”) write soundtracks for imaginary films and they do a very good job of it. It is the self-proclaimed "sophisticated instrumental project” of Mark Tranmer, who is also one of the Montgolfier Brothers, and he’s been doing it since 1999 when Sevens was originally released. Sevens is a collection of Gnac’s first three singles, plus some compilation tracks and this reissue adds some bonus tracks from a couple of rare singles. The majority of the tracks sound very much like John Barry, the composer of many British thriller soundtracks from the ’60s and ’70s, with a continental twist. And it’s all very good stuff: nice, easy listening background music that conjures up images of briefcases being exchanged on the banks of the Seine. The main problem with Gnac is that the first exposure to the band’s music is the most effective. There’s no denying that they make pretty, clever records but each new album seems slightly less effective than its predecessor because Tranmer doesn’t have any new tricks up his sleeve. Or to put it another way, the first purchase of a Gnac album is a relatively safe investment because there simply isn’t a bad one. But there’s also a really good chance you won’t need a second one.