GROUPLOVE - one to watch out for

Not so much of a review for today as a blind bit of ass-kissing for a relatively new band that should, if there's any justice in the world, make it big. From time to time I have these compulsions - the last notable ones were for The Leisure Society and Music Go Music, two of my favourite albums from the noughties.

Their backstory is a little sugary sweet to be suited for a particularly indie 5 piece. Lifted from their last.fm:

Hannah Hooper met Christian Zucconi late one evening on the lower east side of Manhattan. They had both been living in New York for years and had never crossed paths before. But from that night forward the two could hardly be pulled apart. Soon after their connection Hooper was invited to an art residency in Greece on the island of Crete and Hooper insists “without any hesitation” she invited Zucconi to join her on this journey. “Seriously, we had only known one another for a few days but are both so inspired and alive when we are together that going to Greece seemed like a magical and natural thing to do” recalls Zucconi.

On Crete, in a small remote mountain village, Hooper and Zucconi met the members of their future band “GROUPLOVE” a year before it was officially formed. Sean Gadd, a natural songwriter and guitar player, born and bred in London instantly bonded with the two eccentric New Yorkers. Their relationship became apparent through the music they were making day in and day out. Andrew Wessen, a pro surfer and musician from Los Angeles and his childhood friend Ryan Rabin, an accomplished drummer and producer, were also at the residency and quickly joined in with the musical trio. These five musicians make up the members of what we now know as GROUPLOVE .

So yeah, a little cute. But certainly not grounds enough to provoke the kind of genre-cynical and dour misery heaped upon them by The Guardian. With the 2010 release of their debut EP, new fans were abuzz with excitement - to the extent that the band now find themselves with various "next big thing" titles and a supporting slot with Florence + the Machine to contend with.

The EP itself? 6 great tracks. 'Colours' is a shot of adrenaline, sincerely curtailing the energy of youth with all the right indie sounds. 'Naked Kids' namedrops Oprah Winfrey along with skinny dipping (she's thankfully not involved) to provide an unlikely source of summery goodness. 'Gold Coast' is comparatively slower but packs enough swing in its sound to renew its lifespan.

There are shades of Oasis in 'Getaway Car' with the whole growled vocals / 60s inspirations. But the clear highlight of the record is 'Don't Say Oh Well', a short burst of twee pop that couldn't fail to cheer up even the most melancholy of sorts. And there's a fittingly ceremonial end in 'Get Giddy', a soft affectionate track for your lighters-in-the-air moment.



When there are bands such as Neon Trees, Avi Buffalo and Summer Camp all on the brim of success and enjoying modest attention, there's absolutely no reason GROUPLOVE shouldn't get in on the action. Displaying a great deal of variety in just these 6 tracks, it would be a crime for us not to get the opportunity to hear more.