The Anderson Tapes are a London based four piece made up of the surname-less Olga (guitar/vocals), Delfina (guitar/vocals), Martin (bass/vocals) and Chris (drums). They first surfaced last year with a glorious lo-fi indie pop grunge EP entitled ‘Slaughterhouse 8’, which passed us by until now.
They returned in May with the free to download ‘Out There EP’.
‘Out There’ is a five track exercise in indie pop and it’s really rather good. This hazy summery EP immediately sounds better recorded than the previous EP, thanks to Euan Hinshelwood on production. While the recording quality has markedly improved it does not take away anything from their overall aesthetic.
Kicking off with Falling, there are all the hallmarks of classic 90s indie dream pop. There’s a chiming spacey Galaxie 500 style lead guitar line, fuzzed out chords, subtle drums and a sweet melody sung by Olga. Her voice has a soft, rounded cadence, similar to Moe Tucker. This slow burning introduction is contrasted by the fuzzy catchy indie pop of title track Out There. It has a Parsnip-esque vocal melody that follows the guitar chords, paisley organ accompaniment (played by Hinshelwood), slinky guitar lead line and chugging guitar chords and bass. This is the sort of thing we can imagine Marc Riley rightfully gushing over for weeks on end. Sung by Olga and Martin, there’s a nice contrast between their vocals.
Vocal duties are swapped throughout the EP, with Delfina joining Olga on the dark, trudging Anxiety. It has some really wonderful squealing feedback over three chords chords. The tense, moody Beat Happening verses are followed by a gorgeous reverb heavy chiming chorus.
The band kick back into gear with the upbeat, hip swinging rock n’ roller Upside Down. Martin takes the lead vocal this time, joined by Delfina who lets rip with a really satisfying growl in the chorus. It’s great fun – kind of like The Vaselines playing Moldy Peaches.
Pacifier Telephones rounds off the EP with its two scuzzy two chords that cycle on repeat until they crash into a third. The surfy drums create a sharp contrast to Olga’s extremely loose vocal. It brings to mind cult heroes Dog Legs’s “Sorry” or Nirvana’s “Dumb” but with a Primo! edge. It’s really great fun.
The Anderson Tapes’ ear for a simple, catchy melody and the demeanor in which they present them here are both charming and infectious.
Out There EP is out now
You may enjoy this if you like: Barry, Parsnip, Primo!, Terry, The Slugs, Beat Happening, The Vaselines, The Pastels, Milky Wimpshake
Listen here:
Comments
[…] The Anderson Tapes have been merrily chugging along since 2019. Their hazy mix of jangle pop and grunge had an instant appeal to us. Their new EP ‘Everyday Again’ has slightly ramped up the scuzz.“Outta The House” is the most relaxed of the four tracks, with verses that recall the plethora of Melbourne janglers of the last few years. It’s the chorus that really slaps. The Smashing Pumpkins-esque slacker groove and melody is straight out of the Billy Corgan playbook (in a good way).“Don’t Go” is more of a British punk affair. All edgy and upbeat, like a less anxious Witching Waves with a touch of Sonic Youth. The guitar interplay is simple but mightily effective, the dual vocals in the chorus adding a sense of urgency. […]