Little Cub - Still Life

Peckham three-piece Little Cub make electronic music with a human heart, Dominic Gore’s observant lyrics adding depth to the analogue synth lines and snapping beats that propel them.

A portrait of modern life, debut ‘Still Life’ is a record of peaks and troughs. There are moments doused with cynicism, like on opener ‘Too Much Love’. “If I had to ask a personal question I’d probably ask what you wanted to drink,” Dominic deadpans over softly rippling synths. As those notes ramp up into pulsing club-worthy blasts, the chorus reveals what he thinks about himself and his peers: “If you cut me open I know what you will find / The hollow generation inside a gilded mind.”

Elsewhere, ‘Death Of A Football Manager’ begins like a deflated take on Metronomy’s ‘The Look’ before defiantly growing in stature to a climactic end. ‘October’ is crisp and sombre, a high-pitched melody underpinning the verses ahead of a chorus that mixes dizzying synth swathes with dour vocals.

‘Television’ further proofs the trio’s knack for crafting slow-builders, rising from skeletal beginnings to a euphoric close, while single ‘Loveless’ shows they can do bangers from the off too. It’s also one of the album’s highest points - a glorious blend of if-you-don’t-move-you’re-dead rhythms and nagging hooks that’ll stay with you long after ‘Still Life’ has stopped spinning. Modern life might be rubbish, but Little Cub make things seem better.