Island Of Love - Songs Of Love

This first-for-most look into Island of Love’s world might be a mere twelve minutes, or four songs’ worth, but we’re told it took Third Man head honcho Ben Swank just thirty seconds of live performance to offer the Londoners their deal. Fuzzy almost to a fault, it’s scrappy, distorted, rough around the edges indie; if it transpired they’d found the group via a long-lost crate of college rock sealed in the late ‘80s instead of hovering around the capital’s punk and hardcore scenes, it would shock nobody. The first two tracks are the winners here, both the EP title track and opener ‘At Home’ sneaking some gloriously ‘50s-indebted melodies and, shocker!, a pop hook - under layers of hazy guitars.