Miniature Dinosaurs - Chatterbox

At first glance, it’s hard to not find Miniature Dinosaurs adorable. The name, for starters, is reminiscent of a child’s toy, and the logo itself appears crayoned in neat childlike handwriting. Then there’s their press photo, which features endearingly nervous-looking young guys - and, according to a stamp on the back, was printed at a Boots photo kiosk. Their scrappiness, though, belies a band that sounds surprisingly grown up.

The band describes itself as “pop rock,” and the length of the songs on the ‘Chatterbox’ EP agree with this; each song is between two and four minutes, averaging out to that perfect pop length of three minutes. The first track, ‘Write Back’, is straightforward rock done in a simple and catchy fashion. Lead singer Barry Maclean’s surprisingly deep vocals are introduced here, giving him a slight affinity with fellow countryman Alex Kapranos at his sultriest. The arena-friendly bridge is most reminiscent of a stripped-down Killers, without the overly-bombastic spangles - which of course is a good thing.

‘Maine USA’, the second track, is a paean to long-distance love that could easily have been professionally produced. Like the first track, it’s eminently radio-friendly, with another Killers-esque use of synths to accent a classic rock base. The bridge in this track is similarly notable, with a great buildup leading to a singalong conclusion. ‘Three Generations of Lunatic Cats’, meanwhile, marks a sea change in the attitude of the record. Quirky talky vocals and musical shifts, as well as a lyrical reference to Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, create their weirdest (and perhaps mercifully, shortest) song.

The final track, ‘Showgirl’, continues the move away from clear-cut rock music. The instrumentation is heavily electronic, and interestingly sparse during the verses. The chorus features a girl vocalizing the title character, a touch that is perhaps unnecessary but does add texture to the song. Maclean’s vocals nearly approach an Ian Curtis level in a glitchy bridge lifted straight from 80s goth-rock; the experiment in this song is significantly more successful than the previous track.

Overall, Miniature Dinosaurs show potential. With a bit more focus, this barely-a-year-old band should grow to good things.