Cymbals - Sideways, Sometimes

Recorded over five days with James Yuill on a Thames studio boat, ‘Sideways, Sometimes’ is the life preserve Cymbals need after their less than impressive debut LP ‘UnLearn’ prompted many to chuck the band overboard.

Here they‘re woozily relaxed and breathe a cool chill into glacial synth pop. From the laid-back Cure type breeze of ‘Intense Kids’, to the Everything Everything zaniness of ‘The Norms’ and the cute bubbliness of ‘No Bad Decisions,’ it’s difficult to resist the London foursome’s vibrant bounciness. Better yet though is the breezy ‘Candy Bar’ which is what English Riviera era Metronomy might have sounded if fronted by a squawking Kele Okereke / Ezra Koenig hybrid. It’s a slight shame then, that three untitled tracks dispersed throughout don’t really hit the same spot and unnecessarily stretch this EP out longer than it really should be.

Not like any of that matters here though because Cymbals have picked themselves up again, returning to make a much more lasting impression. This is a charming and effortlessly cool EP: one which should see this quirky band jet stream at full speed ahead to make the big splash they now fully deserve.