Cougar Microbes are marching in like army ants…

With just a handful of tracks in my possession I think it is fair to say Oscar Charlie have kept me guessing since I first heard them at the start of this year. Hailing from the Shetland Isles, but recently relocated to Glasgow, the band’s synth heavy songs weren’t what I was expecting when I first checked them out.

Sounding positively brooding and taking the quiet/loud mantle from their contemporaries the band  mix elements from Editors as well as fellow scots Copy Haho, Idlewild and Frightened Rabbit.

in just a few tracks Oscar Charlie display a load of promise and a tendency to build layer upon layer of melodious sound.With a single just released and an EP due at the start of June I would recommend keeping tabs on this lot.

TRACKS:

Oscar Charlie – Hello Chrono

The Kissaway Trial had seemingly gone missing since I saw them at Wireless Festival and subsequently wrote this glowing review.

The above statement is not strictly true as over the last few years the Danish 5-piece have been silently honing their sound and sharing stages with artists as diverse as Sigur Ros, Editors and Passion Pit.

The band are gearing up for a return in 2010 with a new album titled ‘Sleep Mountain’, out on Bella Union, that triumphantly builds on the foundations laid down for their 2007 self-titled debut.

The first song to be unleashed from the upcoming release is the stomping ‘SDP’’ with its six-minutes of buoyant energy.  Fans of the bands previous output will draw parallels gems like ‘61’ and the awesome ‘Smother + Evil = Hurt’ and the trademark dual vocals are still at the forefront. Producer Peter Katis’ work with Interpol and The National may well have rubbed off on The Kissaway Trail because they look and sound more focussed than ever before.

‘Sleep Mountain‘ may well be one of the releases to look forward to in 2010.

TRACKS:

The Kissaway Trail – SDP