Refreshing, full-bodied vocal harmonies and almost messianic, upbeat lyrics make this new indie pop album by the West Country quartet a breath of positivity that also echoes the energy of Arcade Fire and The Polyphonic Spree. The four met at school in Bradford on Avon, lead singer and songwriter Will Southward joined by keyboardist Madelaine Ryan, drummer Isaac Philips and bassist Phoebe Phillips. The central theme is about tackling mental health issues, and seeing the brighter side of things, An Ordinary Life, about getting over sadness, breathing deeply and looking for a better life (“It’s never too late”) is a pick of the bunch, also typified by I Feel Fine (Hallelujah). The sense of escapism to some “utopia” in the song Up In Space could be perceived almost positively cultish. But with Goodnight England’s “looking for this holy place and I can’t go home” there is also a (post-Brexit?) melancholy behind it too, with the band’s name meaning in Japanese something forgotten or left behind. Almost all the tracks have multiple vocal parts, and a sense of a handclap togetherness and energy, sometimes with florid piano accompaniment. The pace rarely lets up, there is always a better place to go, swept up by huge choruses, such as the chirpy I Woke Up On The Moon, or Sunflower Fields. Bright, sunny, and potentially very popular once summer festivals return in full bloom. Out on William Benjamin Southward.
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