Trophy Wife - The Quiet Earth / White Horses

For those of you fond of Spotify, you should be aware that Trophy Wife are not the only Trophy Wife in existence; a basic search will return the three albums released by Miami based Karen Feldner & Co. Whether they are aware of each other yet, or if lawyers are getting involved, I have no idea, but let’s be clear that we’re referring to the very modern, Oxford-based three-piece version. Of course, if you really wanna listen to something called ‘Rose-Scented Cuddle Moments’, then perhaps you’re on the wrong site altogether, but I digress.

The incessant, driving drums, together with the angular, chiming guitars recalls what Delphic were peddling about a year ago, and mark this out as indie best enjoyed on the dancefloor, albeit the type where people only shuffle their feet and nod approvingly. The ethereal vocals, fading in and out of the mix and occasionally just hovering in the background lend both tracks a slightly melancholic air, something compounded by the clever use of strings of ‘White Horses’. Despite this, there is also an undeniable warmth and familiarity to their sound, highlighted by ‘The Quiet Earth’’s central refrain of ‘When it comes / Don’t you hesitate’ – I imagine these are the sort of tracks The XX would come up with if you fed them a shit load of Prozac.

What’s also remarkable is the confidence and swagger on display given that this is only their second release, and if they continue on this upward curve we could well end up with debut of the year. Its assuredness wins you over from the off and leaves you with the feeling that these guys won’t end up as one hit wonders. Of course, we all said the same about the aforementioned Mancunians, but then being right half the time beats being half-right all the time… right?