A mighty fine listen.
'Stages of Dan' - where were you in the year 2000? Single 'Gary' is an aural trip back in time to that indie explosion of the early Noughties. This is an innocent indie pop tune-let that brings to mind the best of the good old days. If bands were school kids, Stages of Dan would be hanging about with the Kooks, Arctic Monkeys, Hot Hot Heat and the like.
'Gary' and B-side 'What Is Love' show just what happens when you take your standard indie-rock band set up (bass, guitars, drums, vocalist), mix in some fast paced danceable energy, sprinkle generously with melodies and lyrical themes straight from the heart (of a teenage boy), then stir them all up into tightly turned out tunes that really do hit the spot. These are danceable indie pop tracks primed for the clubs: a sound to be loved by tight jeaned boys and primly posed teenage girls alike, but despite having a blatant 'scene' sound – the merits of 'Gary' stand alone.
Fun and infectiously catchy to the extreme - 'the catchiest song I have heard in a long time' says Steve Lamacq of BBC 6 Music - it's the composer's skill that gets everything in the right place and makes for a mighty fine listen.