Opening with a grinding guitar-line like something out of a Swervedriver set, the new Suncharms album kicks off. The Sheffield band are resilient in their pursuit of a kind of indie-pop that has links to the C86 generation, as well as connections to shoegaze and other forms. Things Lost, their newest record, reveals a consistency of approach that makes the whole record wildly listenable for the folks who would read this site.
"Satanic Rites" adds a mid-tempo hook following the rougher "3.45" opener. The tune has the sort of laconic charm that suggests numbers from The La's and even Ride. Elsewhere, the title cut serves up one of this record's most affecting tunes, with Marcus Palmer's vocals carrying this one forward, while "Daylight is Here" had a hint of early Teenage Fanclub about it, but the selection's still got its own unique charm. The layered guitars anchor this and the slight twang only adds to the mid-tempo pleasures of this track.
I'm sure that since they were on Slumberland Records and Cloudberry Records, there may be a tendency to call The Suncharms a jangle-pop band. And, sure, there are things here that make it easy to link the sound of this Sheffield crew up with that of pioneers from those earlier decades. But Suncharms favor a neat blend of the rough and the sweet that gives these songs an emotional heft. "Dark Sails", for example, has a grind not unlike mid-period Jesus and Mary Chain, but the melody is flat-out lovely. Where a band like The Telescopes would likely get lost in the mood of a piece like this, The Suncharms find the essence of their approach by building upon that tune and letting it sort of pull the band forward around it. Debts might be owed to any of the bands I've mentioned here, but The Suncharms are still finding ways to put a unique spin on a familiar format, and render this kind of material fresh all over again.
Things Lost by The Suncharms is out now via Sunday Records. Details below too.
[Photo: Marcus Palmer / The Suncharms]