Slow Club - Yeah So

It seems like Slow Club and their skittering, erratic alt county pop have been around for a long time now. Breaking More Waves first caught them playing live over two years ago and now finally after a number of singles and EP’s, Slow Club have released an album - Yeah So. Some of the singles are featured on the album, such as a re-recorded Because We’re Dead and recent stomping single It Doesn’t Have To Be Beautiful. Further old song Let’s Fall Back In Love can be found on a limited edition bonus CD that comes with early purchases of the album which also include a number of live songs recorded at the Union Chapel, London.

So with the release of this record, Slow Club make their space and firmly establish their ground, mixing exuberant sounding ramshackle indie goes country numbers such as Giving Up On Love and the afore mentioned It Doesn’t Have To Be Beautiful together with slower songs such as the acoustic waltz of Apples And Pairs. This is a collection of tunes that documents the band well, and whilst it never quite catches the joy, beauty and humour of their best live shows it is still a charming campfire cuddle of a listen.

There are of course some limitations to Slow Club. They are after all only a two piece and most of their songs are formed out of acoustic old fashioned sounding guitars and stumbling skiffle like drums. The band seem to be aware of this though, as the running order of the album is designed with subtle variations from song to song enabling the listeners attention to be held. From the echoing haunting piano on Come On Youth to the mixing of vocal duties on the starkly sad There Is No Good Way To Say I Am Leaving You (Charles) and Sorry About The Doom (Rebecca). In fact, it is the twin vocals of the duo that are one of the most endearing aspects of Yeah So. Some may call them twee in a negative sense, but we would prefer innocent and beautiful; Charles all manfully nasal, Rebecca all girlish with droplets of country, folk and soul dripping from her mouth. Whether they’re wailing gang shouts, dropping sweet harmonies or collecting his and hers call and response lines like musical farmers, they harvest a fine collection of tunes to take back to the barn.

So Yeah So despite its arrogant title, is actually a sweet, simple and genuinely natural sounding album with some concise and wonderful melodies. It could easily find a place in the hearts of those who have enjoyed their singles. Lovely. In places the lyrics are sad. But the songs are lovely nonetheless.