San Cisco - San Cisco

San Cisco are fun. Who else would describe their vibe as if it were a hunk of salmon stir-fried by a hipster werewolf (“squelchy, crispy, streamlined, hairy, indie”)? Nor do many bands have videos as quirky as San Cisco’s five-million viewed ‘Awkward’, featuring drummer Scarlett Stevens looking more deadpan than a smashed-up wok.

This isn’t some sort of pathetic attempt to single them out as ultimate hipsters – but instead to illustrate that if listening don’t at least induce half a smile, it might be a good idea to try face yoga. Take ‘Fred Astaire’ – an exuberant mix of chirpy guitar, funky bass and drums bouncier than Kelis on a spacehopper – all topped-off with a keyboard solo that’s a call to throw some mean jazz-hands. It might not break any musical boundaries, but who cares when it’s this much of a Dopamine injection? It’s not simple by any means, though – ‘Wild Things’ touches upon the childish qualities of Gorillaz to create a modern-day nursery rhyme – and ‘Mission Failed’ mixes Jordie Davieson’s infectious vocals with La Roux synths, to create an infectious slice of electronic-pop.

There’s the odd, tiny slip-up - the ‘Freak Out’ samples on ‘Stella’ are a nightmare flashback to the screaming of The Automatic’s ‘Monster’, and perhaps there are a couple too many tracks. But most of the time, the sounds created are sunny and golden – ‘No Friends’ sounds like a blend of The Strokes and Vampire Weekend that’s been splashed with sunshine and ‘Beach’ has a beautiful, ineffable poignancy to it – sounding like the dying days of summer condensed into a gleaming, dreamy teenage anthem.

Best, though, is ‘Awkward’ – a duet about a stalker played over a riff more addictive than a nicotine-laced Oreo. It’s a bit like a more upbeat version of ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ – and like most of the album, it’s one big cheesy grin. Their lush sounds make for ecstatic listening, and ‘San Cisco’ is like one great big jug of lemonade – chilled, refreshing, fizzy pop that’s waiting to be gulped down.