Pixey - Free To Live In Colour

There’s a brand of jubilant friendliness synonymous with Liverpool that you just can’t find anywhere else in the world, so it makes sense that when Chess Club newcomer Pixey dishes up psychedelic dance cuts on her debut EP, she does so with a wink and a smile. Fresh, floral, and infectiously upbeat, ‘Just Move’ is a firecracker of an introduction whose hazy guitar/vocal combo hints at a range of influences, from ‘60s girl groups like The Shangri-Las to ‘90s pop-rock a la ‘Brimful of Asha’. Bringing up the rear, a hypnotic breakbeat hints at De La Soul’s easy-going sensibilities, something that’s heavy in her sepia self-production which is, put simply, a ton of fun. ‘California’ and ‘Electric Dream’ are solid pop cuts that will one day do well in sun-baked festival fields, but ‘On the Mersey Line’ is the EP’s real gem with a melody that sticks in mind like bubblegum to a cheek. An ode to her Scouse stomping ground, it’s easy to picture her skipping along the riverside humming the notes to herself, before nipping home to lay them down via the medium of kitschy guitar licks. Warm and vibrant, ‘Free To Live in Colour’ is a solid introduction to a sparky new pop personality, and a perfect antidote to those winter chills.