Noise-pop two-piece, Playlounge are making quite a racket on the London scene. But don't be fooled, their blend of melodic, lo-fi pop is a lot deeper than their simple guitar-drums-vocals line-up would imply.
Playlounge are the perfect excuse to listen to Pop music, especially if it's not normally your thing. It's noisy, catchy and melodic, with enough fuzz, distortion and energy to satisfy the rockers among you. It's also a fact that there's nothing better than big noise done properly - it's just one of life's pleasures!
The real skill in Playlounge's music, however, is their awareness of the oh so very thin line between fuzzy, blurry crunchy guitar-noise and well assembled fuzzy, blurry crunchy guitar-noise. Luckily, these guys are on the right side of that line.
The duo released a 4-track EP back in 2011 titled, Kitten Frenzy, and have since been relentlessly touring the UK gigging, selling (some rather fetching) t-shirts and documenting the whole affair on the internet. Although still a relatively small band, they have a loyal and close following and it's clear to see why from their slightly naive and casual approach to being in a band.
Kitten Frenzy is a witty EP showcasing the ability to fuse multi-layered and dense musicianship with simplistic, downright likeable songs. My favourite song being He Used To Be More Fun Before Zoe Lee Punched Him In The Heart; an unexpectedly touching track with the heart-wrenching line: "This is the worst thing that you've ever done". The crashing percussion and frantic strumming wouldn't dare let onto the sensitive nature of the lyrics though...they've got a rep to uphold, you know!
Opening the EP with Orange Friends, the track thrusts into motion with a weighty drum fill and some guitar feed back. I don't know what it is about this pair, but their songs are instantly enchanting and engaging - despite not being able to identify all the lyrics. Friendshift is a thrashy affair under two minutes long with what sounds like drop-tuning to get that real muddy, deep grunge sound. Each song is upbeat and sounds like it was recorded in a garage, but that's why I love it; It's fun, no-nonsense music.
In February this year, the band released a new track, The Turtle, The Balloon And The Whale, which continues along the same (fuzzy) vein. With a melodic, chilled out intro, the track takes off when the drums kick in, once again creating a sense of atmosphere, and something much bigger than just a guitar, drums and vocals. The drumming in this song in particular is a kin to the likes of Explosions In The Sky; a post rock instrumental band known for their dramatic and climactic choruses. If this is a taster of what's to come next from the band, sign me up!
Written and performed by Laurie Foster and Sam Watkins, Kitten Frenzy is a high-octane, brilliant piece of riff-fuelled punk-pop but with a more credible edge. If you like a bit of muddy distortion AND melody AND fun, this is the one. It's already been on repeat for the last hour or so. As they say, two heads are better than one.
Why don't you join me in going to watch them live at The Old Blue Last next Wednesday (28th March). It's FREE!
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