Slow Club – Yeah, So.

There is no way around the unabashed happiness of Slow Club. They are a solid wall of optimism that refuses to back down an inch – a wall whose mortar is laced with sanguine lyrics and catchy hooks. To make it all the more adorable, the band is a boy/girl duo whose voices can turn any heartbreaking situation into sweet syrup.

Slow Club is comprised of Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor, and their first long-playing album is called Yeah, So. The album title encapsulates the innocent attitude of the band – a message rooted in carefree adolescence that shrugs off burdensome responsibility. Taking cues from label mates Tilly and the Wall, Slow Club writes concise songs with weighty pop hooks and boast an enormous sound for a duo. Their songs meander through the extremes of sentimental and floor stomping, often encapsulating both.

What is perhaps the album’s most effectively sentimental song comes first. “When I Go” presents a familiar dialogue between two close friends as they talk confront the fear of growing old, saying things such as, “If we’re both not married by 22, could I be so bold and ask you?” Backed only by an acoustic guitar, Watson and Taylor sing doubled vocals for the tune’s duration – a discourse that is interrupted only by a songbird whistle interlude. The discussion that the song evokes is well worn but is given vivacity by the unflinching confidence of the voices. The tune is an intimate portrait of innocent friendship that remains untainted by complicated apprehension.

On the other end of the Slow Club spectrum is the driving force of, “It Doesn’t Have To Be Beautiful.” From the first rockabilly electric guitar strum the songs screams momentum as it packs on a sturdy bass drum and energetic snare. This combined with Jenny Lewis style yells and sincere lines such as, “It’s true/ Waiting never felt like waiting when waiting was with you,” create a trenchant anthem against the pains of love.

Slow Club undoubtedly have a penchant for catchy twee pop songs, but too often cross into mawkish territory. The lyrics are frequently silly and distance the listener such as the line, “Any Friends? I’ve got 1 2 3, but they are all imaginary,” in “Apples and Pairs.” Metaphors are too often half-hearted or nonsensical. While some may find this endearing, the album’s high points occur when this trend is eschewed.

One of the album’s shining moments comes in its hidden track. Although many of the lyrics ail from the album’s unrestrained consciousness, this tune is able to puncture the ornate surface and reveals a much more personal and pensive side. Taylor sings the song alone and kicks off the shackles of the album’s previous mold with lines such as “I’m just a northern girl from where nothing really happens,” and, “The bones inside my shins are crumbling.” It is one of the few instances in which the album departs from its cheerful agenda, and (quite effectively indeed) delves into more serious themes.

Yeah, So. is a pretty exposition of a budding band. The songwriting is promising, and in many instances hits a true mark. However, an adolescent attitude often hinders the duo from a more in depth exploration that they seem more than capable of. Too often do they seem to be adhering to a commercial perception instead of trusting their own strong instincts as songsmiths.

Related posts:

1. Frank Schweikhardt – Life But No More

Tagged as: England, Folk, rockabilly, Sheffield, twee pop

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