Putting A Smile On Faces
This single from London based Shuffle kicks off with a funky swung jazz groove which sets the tone for the rest of the track: quirky and interesting. The walking bass line and stabbing guitars complement the electronic beeps and squiggles beautifully.
At first I dismissed this track as trashy trying too hard to be unusual pop, but it soon grows on you and the childlike charm of the band wins you over, and the simplicity and openness of the production is quite refreshing.
The second song on the single is again delightfully quirky and unashamedly simplistic. Arrangements like this really help to lay the songwriting bare and allow you to focus on all the separate fun little things going on in the track. It reminded me of the Envelopes for raw fun, but the sound is a lot more refined and polished.
This is enough to put a smile on anyone's face, hopefully Shuffle can keep it up for the album.