Top Pop Fun
In their latest single London-based band Popular Workshop have chosen to speak about love, a great subject in the run up to Valentine’s Day, but “Pop Shop” have an exuberant and gritty take on the subject, producing a track full of razor-sharp hooks and angular guitars. The vocals and grimy and down to earth, fast-living lyrics are a bonus, creating a punchy indie marvel that packs a lot into its crisp 2 minute duration. They say that the perfect pop song is under 3 minutes…
The b-side is a Belle & Sebastian cover, turning ‘Electronic Renaissance’ into a spunky indie tune, although Popular Workshop’s vocals have suddenly developed a very mature and deep edge, losing their energetic, chaotic wails. Covers should definitely always have a purpose to them, rather than be about a band playing a song they love for the sake of it, and this one certainly adds a twist to the original.
Popular Workshop remains one of the most fun and entertaining indie punk bands out there, simply brimming with energy and life.