Description
Label Review.
2019 debut album. Rock. Also available on CD.
Our Overview.
Bristol boys Some Bodies invite you on a dreamlike, madcap trip with debut album ‘Sunscreen’, an adventure island surrounded by waves of nostalgia and built on a foundation of blissful, retro-centric rock, Some Bodies shape a world over the course of ten impeccably produced pop nuggets that’s distorted yet inviting, told from the point of view of a band looking back at their youth. Described as “A cool yet inviting cocktail that errs on the hookier side of indie” by Classic Rock.
The melancholy nature of ‘Sunscreen’ bares all the markings of a half-forgotten summer of freedom before life happens and we’re forced to look at the world without the rose-tinted glasses of adolescence. As such it’s both unforgettable in its melodies and delicately playful, but boasts some hefty modern subject matters such as virtue signalling, climate change, dead-end jobs, celebrity, religion, shame, social media and mental health.
“There are a lot of questions and no answers on this album” we’re told by guitarist and lead songwriter Fred Hickey, “It's fairly soul searching. Personally I was just shedding all the disguises of my early twenties and writing about them. It sounds like someone giving themselves a good talking to to me. The "grand conceptual idea" Tom and I would keep coming back to when we’re talking about the lyrics and imagery was this "shit holiday resort desert island”. We were just laughing at all of these characters being cooked by global warming surrounded by an ocean of plastic. But I guess we were those characters and making this record is all we had to protect ourselves from getting cooked. Hence "Sunscreen".
The album pulls in sounds from every corner of rock history, from the dulcet lo-fi harmonies of The Beach Boys and Sparklehorse to the contemporary psychedelic leanings of Tame Impala and Beach House. Opener ‘Tired All The Time’ recalls lazy, hazy afternoons before the poignant ‘TV Show’ hits harder with an aggressive krautrock riff and smoky delivery.
Elsewhere album highlights like ‘Higher Self’ and ‘Sunshine’ revel in their unabashed love for The Beatles, and if these tracks serve to lead you on a journey through the bands surreal fictional funfair then ‘Escape’ plays the role of haunted house, with its dark edge, jagged guitars and sinister garage-rock rhythm. Towards the end on ‘Aint Over Yet’ we’re given a healthy slice of Pixies charm, without cutting too close to the bone.
Forthcoming live shows include support tour with Once & Future Band in August / September, headline tour in November and Wild Paths festival. Previous dates include support dates with FUR, Trudy & The Romance, Sugar Candy Mountain and Champagne Superchillin’ and played Liverpool Sound City and live shows for Huw Stephens at The Social and Radio X’s George Godfrey.
“Fuzzing Ty Segall guitars with a wistful glance back to pop music past” - Bristol in Stereo
“A catchy as hell first offering.” - BBC Introducing in the West
“Mysterious late night vibe that shines with some beautiful old school harmonies” - We All Want Something to Shout For