Lightyear 2016
Heart’s Desire
Exeter ensemble measure up to eternity and enter Neverland leading the listener in their wake.
It’s all about the beat and a time-tested tune pattern for this collective whose debut EP is a delectable slice of folk-tinctured razzle-dazzle. The record’s title track may have amassed a lot of streaming – deservedly so – but their success doesn’t imply pandering to a contemporary crowd; instead, the British quintet tapped into the traditional jingle-jangle morning to find a fine following on both sides of the pond – not surprising, really, given the Brits’ exploration of free will and falling in love.
Riffs dancing around Daniel Schamroth’s voice and enticing the vocals into unison, while Kieran Chalmers’ drums introduce tempo shifts for enhanced adventurousness, “Heart’s Desire” seems impossible not to embrace, even in a fogged-up remix, whereas the infectiously retrofuturistic rumble behind “I’m Just A Man” hits hard to push even more emotional buttons, what with an organ wigout for a finale. So though the slightly aloof licks of “Flicker” propel romanticism towards less playful pastime, an a cappella intro to “Sticks & Stones” is only a solemn preparation for another reel of rapture. If it can span a long-play, this club will be worth joining.
****4/5
