THE DEATH OF POP

It’s a bold statement to call your band ‘The Death of Pop‘. But, should this Bournemouth quintet’s hypothetical name come to fruition, and they were to prove the unlikely hangmen, then the morbid knell would at least be the most delicious of shoegaze earworms. Exhibit A, their new track “Headaches“, included on latest EP Bubble Bath.

The Death of Pop are something of a family affair, featuring three brothers and two cousins. Vocals come courtesy of Angus James, a high-school music teacher by day, noise pop frontman by night. As a band they’ve been picking up great traction of late, and not just in the United Kingdom, either: This Saturday they’ll be in Spain for Benicàssim Festival, billed on the poster alongside Frank Turner, Mark Ronson and Blur.

“Headaches” is the closing track on Bubble Bath. In other places the EP is more of a jangle-pop effort, but it’s in their full shoegaze get-up – as with this standout number – that they’re at their most delightful and essential.

Opening with a soundscape surely inspired by whale song, before descending into a long instrumental portion of fuzzy guitar, “Headaches” quickly captivates. But it’s only when the vocal begins after over a minute that the full essence of “Headaches” becomes apparent, an old-school shoegaze feel reminiscent of the reunited Ride at their early 90s best, only with a dreamier, more saintly feel.

The Death of Pop possess a knack not just for the music itself, but for marketing too. A previous EP was sold on pretty blue vinyl with accompanying 20-page magazine, and they’ve proven a good interview for sites like The Line of Best Fit too. It’s this eye not just for the product, but for the bigger picture, that mean they’re surely destined for much bigger things.

Words by Katy Blackwood

Tipped by Chris from Disorder Music