Neu Rice Milk

Rice Milk
Based: Newcastle, England
Listen: ‘Rice Milk’ EP
Similar to: PAWS, No Age, Let’s Wrestle

Rice milk, if you’ve never tried it, is a fairly watery but perfectly acceptable alternative to cows’ milk. Often unsweetened but available in a range of flavours, it is the third most popular dairy alternative for lactose sufferers and vegans alike behind soy and almond.

Rice Milk, if you’ve never heard them, are a two-piece from Newcastle who make distorted, guitar-led pop songs. Although technically their songs are far from complex and while their recording methods are limited, the guitar-drums duo have a real knack for knocking together catchy, charming noise-pop.

It’s difficult to put your finger on it. Their self-titled EP (available for free on their bandcamp) is not exactly punchy, energetic, or even especially loud, despite the guitar distortion and cymbal crashes throughout. But the songs within - from the fun and dancey vibes on opener ‘Lonely’ to the slow-paced, almost droning noise of fourth and final track ‘Braidwood Inn’ - show a band with real promise. Who consumes dairy these days anyway?

Lonely by Rice Milk