OHBOY!

The My Bloody Valentine esque intro is a total red herring- ‘Carrot and the Stick’ by OhBoy! may be fuzzy but at its heart it is pure pop-rock, reminiscent of Ash, Weezer or FIDLAR. Instantly catchy, this upbeat wedge of invigorating scuzzcake demands to be played loudly and repetitively, co-workers/family/flatmates be damned!

The simultaneously major and minor vibe of the chorus sounds wonderfully pained compared to the breezy verses, and the wobbly guitar solo following the second chorus is the greatest example of keeping it simple and effective since Ira Kaplan’s one note solo in Yo La Tengo’s cover of Little Honda by The Beach Boys.

As we enter the final straight of winter (I mean, it’ll still stay freezing for a couple of months but hey…) ‘Carrot and the Stick’ is a timely reminder that festival season is not TOO far away, and soon we’ll be able to spend beer-soaked mild afternoons singing along to our new favourite bands in a muddy field.

Words by Lewis Lloyd-Kinnings

Tipped by Charlotte Holroyd from Bitter Sweet Symphonies