Fast YearsFrom: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Fast Years are the latest band to poke their heads above the parapet and enter the increasingly crowded sugar coated surf tinged indie pop scene. It's almost impossible to stand out in a market heavily dominated by The Drums, Surfer Blood, Best Coast, Beach House, Surf City, Howler and the rest but the Brooklyn based four piece give it a bloody good go on their debut EP Women.
EP opener 'Let Me Try' is a fresh, optimistic tale of love and desire that sounds like The Drums on happy pills. It's infectious surf pop that's like an infusion of summer. If it's raining outside slap this on your stereo and you can have your own personal beach party in your living room. The all encompassing familiarity of surf pop in 2012 is close to breeding contempt but when it's as upbeat and as optimistic as 'Let Me Try' all you can do is sit back and admire their chutzpah. They throw the surf pop kitchen sink at 'Young Heart'. Pure pop harmonies, scuzzy guitars and hand claps. Yes it's derivative and not very original but it succeeds because of the bands enthusiasm, energy and sheer naive wild eyed optimism.
The stand out track on the EP is 'Like It Or Not' a bona fide earworm that'll be rolling around your head all summer. Like most of the tracks on the album there's nothing complicated about 'Like It Or Not' It's pop, pure and simple. It makes you smile, cheers you up and over the next few months postmen across the world will be wearing out their vocal cords singing "Like it or not I just can't let you go". It's easy to over intellectualise pop music but ultimately it's at its best when it's kept simple and that's exactly what Fast Years do.
Women is far from perfect. 'Stolen Love' aims for Oasis but makes do with Viva Brother on an off day and the EP draws to a close with the throwaway 'Fall For Me', a slice of cliched pop punk that veers a little too close to Blink 182 territory for comfort.
Despite these couple of misses Women remains an impressive debut from a band who have the ability to elbow their way through the crowded surf pop scene and leave all potential competition in their wake.
6.5/10
This review was written by the Devil for the405 and is published with permission
Go Try
Fast Years - Like It Or Not by Whiteboard Publicity
Fast Years - Young Heart by Whiteboard Publicity
Go Visit
Fast Years - Facebook : Bandcamp : Last.FM
No comments:
Post a Comment