Discography
Teenagers and Grownups (2010)
“With this third album the group have excelled at indie rock and produced eleven alternative tracks with stunning success… As each track rolls around, your impression of the band soars… Teenagers and Grownups is hopefully a forecast for many good days ahead in New Zealand music. George and Queen give new inspiration to all alternative acts and certainly with this album they have created for which they deserve to be widely embraced for.” - www.muzic.net.nz
“Immi Paterson has a voice which could be at home in more delicate and refined folk-rock circles but here she pulls out some real strength so isn’t defeated by the brittle and bristling guitar work which is hallmark of this repeat-play album… Far from being “the difficult third album” this is a work of smarts, maturity, emotional engagement and wry humour punctuated by dark spots.” - Graham Reid, www.elsewhere.co.nz
“This record, in a just world, should catapult the band into wider and broader success
that they clearly deserve.” - www.cheeseontoast.co.nz
“[George and Queen] have released three albums of charming, off-centre pop culminating in Teenagers and Grownups, an ambitious set of songs that displays a more aggressive side to their sound” - Metro, May 2010
“Whether the two main songwriters compose together or separately, the music comes out with that ‘George and Queen’ sound and you can tell that the band could more than likely finish each other’s sentences. They have their very own special brand of quirky pop and this is their most enjoyable album to date.” - Rip it Up June/July 2010
Pulp Magazine calls ‘Teenagers and Grownups’ one of the ‘10 essential albums for Autumn’ - Autumn Issue, 2010
“Thoughtfully produced and filled with ideas, Neil Newton has grown into an inventive, unlikely guitar hero.” - Real Groove Magazine
The Wind is Up (2008)
“Vocalist Immi Paterson has a voice that evokes the even measure of prettiness and strength that you might associate with 1970s folk…The Wind Is Up is a full-band affair, ranging from country tinged rock to off-kilter timing and ballads. You won’t catch George & Queen sporting masks and relying on synth gimmickry - a set of good solid songs, with deft musicianship and powerful voice work (including some delightful harmonies) are what set this band apart from others.” - Cheese on Toast
“The Wind is Up’ is a superbly arranged album, with beautiful melodies and catchy tunes you will hum merrily through the rest of the day” - NZ Musician Magazine
” Where 2007 debut City was quirky and charming, The Wind Is Up is altogether more substantial. The band shifts from sweet pop ditties to country charmers to alt-rock wig-outs without clouding its thoughtful personality. These are well-written songs, well played. While Paterson’s vocals are once again clear and evocative, Newton deserves special praise for his sympathetic and, at times, stunning guitar work.” - Otago Daily Times (4/5 stars).
“More guts and a little grunge around the folksy edges. This one shows what George and Queen can aspire to.” - Groove Guide
“While the Mint Chicks etc were pop on the inside with only a window dressing of “intense brooding intelligence”, George and Queen’s musical smarts go very much deeper… with a dizzying array of ideas, and the guitar playing is superb without being boringly “angular” or “Johnny-Marr-iffic… One for the headphones and a decent concentration span”. - Waikato Times
“Another strong showing from a band that deserves its reputation.” - The Dominion Post
City (2007)
“Their debut album City is an elegantly self-produced gem… a wonderfully atmospheric cityscape” of songs… an aural collage with lots of blended elements creating delicious textures” - Rip it Up Magazine
“It’s a wonderfully understated and carefully crafted collection of quite fantastic songs. It’s fun, ever-so-slightly quirky, but never zany.” - Cheese on Toast
“high-falutin folk… delightfully dinky” - NZ Herald
“knowing, pyschedelically informed folk, George and Queen occasionally conjure the spirit of long-gone Dunedin altstrum groups as well as the clever cheese of Stereolab and the austere bare bones pop of Young Marble Giants.” - Metro Magazine
“multifaceted urban curveball” - Real Groove Magazine
“an album called City which has evoked favourable comparisons with the likes of Belle and Sebastian and Yo La Tengo.” - Radio New Zealand
“Sounds of sparse deserts and lulling rivers are a tribute to the vocal prowess of Immi Paterson and the musical compositions themselves… a sweeping, stuttering soundscape.” - NZ Musician Magazine
