Each week Little Indie takes three guest reviewers and six new tracks, and after giving them a spin through the headphones, they then give their opinion on each.
This week's panel: Ollie McCormack, account manager with Top Button Digital PR; Joe, guitarist with emerging London band FLOAT; Little Indie contributor, Richard Cobb.
SAHARA - IN SUFFICIENCY
The Dundee quartet follow their March released single, 'Never Get The Time', with this new track. Driving, melodic guitar riffs and pounding drums augment the forceful vocals of Adam Campbell. Catch live at Perth's CiTay festival on June 23.
Ollie McCormack: Guitar-wise it sounds very 90s-indie-by-numbers. But it’s got a nicely impactful hit of guitars when the chorus drops and flies along at a decent pace so it gets a thumbs up from me. Apart from the bridges between chorus and verse that is, which seem rather excessive and unnecessary. 3.5/5
Joe: Interpol meets Cloud Nothings. Nice stuff. Took me back to the mid 2000's. 3.5/5
Richard Cobb: Strong musicianship. Enough interesting layers in there to draw you in. Sounds like a band on top of their game and enjoying what they’re doing. 3.5/5
Total score: 10.5/15
LUKE DUFFETT - DANGER DANGER
Aylesbury, Bucks-based singer-songwriter, formerly vocalist/guitarist of the band Swoons. Impressive vocals. Chamber pop style somewhere between Nick Cave, Kingsley Chapman and a 60s crooner. Catch live on 30th June at Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes.
OM: There’s a lot of this slow, echoing, electronic-pop around at the minute. This didn’t grab my attention, passing me by in a blur of nothingness. Not one I’ll be rushing back to listen to again. 2/5
J: 80s delicacy. 4/5
RC: It’s clear by the video and track he’s got a certain vision and style, struggled to keep my attention throughout unfortunately. 2/5
Total score: 8/15
CALVA LOUISE - OUTRAGEOUS
Rising London-based three-piece share new single, out via Modern Sky UK. Fuzzy, full-on and fiery punk-pop, driven by frontwoman Jess Allanic’s powerful hold on the vocals.
OM: I’m struggling to think how this could sound any more like a Slaves track - the guitar and bass tones in particular are pure, unashamed Kent punk rock rip-offs. But luckily, having said that, I love Slaves so while they lose a point for tone theft, the energy is great and the vocals are nicely raucous, so hey, they get a solid 3.5/5
J: Angsty, yet playful. Again, takes me back to my late teenage years. The "la la la's" become "outrageously" catchy. 4/5
RC: Really like their energy and I remember this one from seeing them live earlier this year. Could imagine this being played in one of those weird fun houses the clowns run about in at a fun fair. 4/5
Total score: 11.5/15
OFF BLOOM - NOT SORRY
Following recent single ‘Love Actually’, the Anglo-Danish electro-alt-pop trio (consisting of three producers: Alexander Flockhart, Mads Christensen and Mette Mortensen) return with this latest, about "honesty between friends and being true to yourself and your beliefs," released June 15.
OM: I found this a bit uninspiring. The production is super slick, and I like her voice, but it didn’t seem to get out of first gear. Sounds a bit Scandi-pop-by-numbers. 3/5
J: Not really something I'd usually listen to and wouldn't again for personal taste reasons. I'm sure it can be appreciated by others, though. I'm not in the position to rate this one, I'm afraid, as it wouldn't be justified. 0/5
RC: Really liked the Imogen Heap vibe at the start and end of the track. This song’s a bit like a sandwich with amazing bits of bread on either side but the filling in the middle has a bit too much butter on it and detracts from the lovely bread. 2.5/5
Total score: 5.5/15
THE HONEYMOON SUITE - ARCADE
Follow up to 'Poser' from January, the Derby alt-rock four-piece bring more jangly rhythms to new track, released June 16, and produced by Alex Greaves at The Nave studios in Leeds.
OM: Yeah, this is decent. The lo-fi production is a nice change from some of the studio slickness of the last couple of tracks. Great bass sound as well. I like this one. 4/5
J: Definite Cribs influence stands out, in a good way. Nice harmonies and drum hitting. 4/5
RC: I’m normally a fan of the genre, but I’m struggling with the vocals on this one a bit. Live might be where this song reaches the next level. 2/5
Total score: 10/15
CLEAN SPILL - DOCTOR
The Santa Barbara, California surf-garage rock band's EP, 'Nothing's On My Mind' (produced by Hanni El Khatib), is due out later this summer, from which comes this first single. Warm vibes and colourful sounds break over introspective lyrics.
OM: Digging this one as well. Sounds like a mix of Parquet Courts and Ty Segall, with maybe even a little Evan Dando thrown in. 90s slacker American indie-rock - which is almost certainly the best kind of indie-rock you can find. 4/5
J: Interesting laid back, drunken, vocals. I wanted to hear more bass riff. A coolness about it. 4/5
RC: Love a cowbell. I’d be shocked if I’m the only one that mentions the cowbell. From memory the singer sounds a bit like Beck, but I’ve not listened to Beck in about 10 years so I might be completely wrong. Short but sweet. 4/5
Total score: 12/15
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