What we have here is a pot of mellow gold. It’s dreamy heartbreak pop from this gang of seven South East Londoners. Instrumentally it’s busy but without ever feeling cluttered and you find yourself being carried off on a carefree trip over the clouds.
The harmonies are neat and infectious and at times quite haunting. There are hints of The Sundays’ wistfulness, tinged with a gentle whim more akin to The Divine Comedy. Few of the songs become over complex, yet when they do, on tunes like My Big Test, it’s perpetrated artfully and grazes across Elbow territory.
Highlights here are A Question Of Trust and Record Breaker both of which a less malicious Morrissey could have written! Then there’s A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away which has a merrier swagger to it, betraying the lyrical plea to “tell me you love me…don’t”.
A splendid bundle of tainted joy then and, right now, you are unlikely to find a more engaging yet understated piece of work. Something to suitingly escort you through the warm summer days, should we get any! Beautiful, languid and somehow very innocent.
Released 10th August on Strange Torpedo Records.
Congratulations on being the first to post a review – that was some fast work!
And many thanks for making it such a great one – we’re really pleased you liked it, and “a splendid bundle of tainted joy” is such a good soundbite we may well be quoting you on that for some time to come!
Mark
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