Stay Put - Two 7"

Following on from last year's 'Orange' EP, the second offering from this delectable neo-slacker outfit is another rich, spongy slice of janglesome hardcore punks go shoegaze cake that's been left out to ferment in an early-'90s Southern Californian backyard. Chief 'Putter, Sammy Ratcliffe, has dialled up the winsome harmonies, lovably languid vocals and flailing, Mascis-like guitar acrobatics to 11 but the song never strays from its simple desire to gush over the listener like a warm (and very short) breeze. There's an endearing sense of Teenage Fanclub-ish playfulness on the likes of 'Working Holiday' and 'Zap Gun' although the often downbeat, resigned nature of the lyrics – “I'm tired / You're tired / So tired / We're too tired to move” – do their damnedest to subvert the optimism and bring you back to reality with a melancholic sigh. Which is, of course, the making of all the best songs in the world. I'm sold!
- Darren Johns