Spirit Of The Lyrics: A Brief Review Of The New EP From The Slow Summits (Feat. Amelia Fletcher Of Heavenly, The Catenary Wires)

The Swedish band The Slow Summits are doing everything exactly right as far as this indie-pop fan is concerned. Combining lead vocals that owe lots to those of Calvin Johnson from Beat Happening and spry melodies that are clearly reminiscent of tunes from the early years of The Go-Betweens or Orange Juice, the four-piece know how to push the right buttons. Their newest EP, Languid Belles, is out now, and the presence of Amelia Fletcher (Heavenly, The Catenary Wires) on two cuts is yet another reason to pay attention to this group's material.

"Spirit of the Lyrics" is bouncy and buoyant, like something from the pen of Forster and McLennan with Yank Calvin Johnson singing on the microphone, while "Regrets" is even better, shades of early Slumberland Records stuff peeking through here. The selection "(A Hit) To Your Wallet" reminded me of The Pastels a bit, even as the hook took me right back to "Mobile Shack" by Felt, while closer "Less Than Impressed" is epically-chiming. The four players here -- Anders Nyberg (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Mattias Holmqvist Larsson (bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, and percussion), Karl Sunnermalm (lead guitar, keyboard, piano, harmonica, and glockenspiel), and Fredrik Svensson (drums) -- attack this material with enough energy that it feels like one's entered a time warp when playing this EP. I mean, it's like it was 1986 or so again, and I think a lot of that vibe comes from the fact that Languid Belles is four solid cuts without a trace of filler. The Slow Summits have a way with a hook, and there's enough original here in their mix of things to eliminate any notion that they are just another band of revivalists. For anyone who reads this site, this is really a must-hear release.

Languid Belles is out now via the link below. More details on The Slow Summits via the band's official Facebook page.

[Photo: Matilda Ahl]