Oberhofer - o0O0o0O0o

MySpace genre labels, the ones you’ll find under the band’s name, are a strange thing - usually either boring or misleading. ‘Cause someone browsing the site for Soul music wouldn’t exactly expect to find Oberhofer, who sound like “Coincidence Pop,” and something between Beach Boys and [insert name of contemporary indie band here].

With his three band mates, Brad Oberhofer, who’s not even 20 yet, succeeds where The Drums fail. Writing summery surf-rock music that feels so light and unaffected you can’t help but tap your feet along to the rhythm. ‘o0O0o0O0o’ may not have the most intelligent, innovative lyrics, but ooh’s, ahh’s and laa’s have always worked for pop. It sounds like it’s the recording of a vinyl playback of a song straight from the 60’s, but Oberhofer are more than a good retro band.

Second track ‘Don’tNeedYa’ adapts the vintage sound, but experiments with tambourine tingles and drum computers and is just as carefree and easy, and closer ‘Smylez’ is an obscure piece of music with its peculiar vocals (mainly ooh’s, again) and the slightly messy instrumentation.

If there’s one thing that leaves a slightly bad taste in your mouth it has to be the song titles. Don’t judge a book by its cover and all that aside, but if you make music so unaffected and are obviously talented, use proper English to name them, please.