Another clear thing is just how lush the songs are, pop as it should be: the sort of tunes lazy summer evenings were made for. The first two trackOne very noticeable thing about Sizer Barker is their quirkiness, from their name – taken from a name on a gravestone – to the music which is a mix of styles and influences.s, ‘Bright Hope’ and ‘Day By Day’, are upbeat but oh so melancholy at the same time, heartbreaking almost. There is a distinct 60s feel with the harmonium, but it also has a very modern vibe .

Sizer Barker - Hotel Juicy Parlour - Album Review

However, the mood turns strikingly more upbeat on ‘We Came up Favourites’, which is as far from a sugary love song as it’s possible to get. Singer, Carl Brown, has wonderful way with words when describing how much he loves a girl – for example ‘I know you’re messin’/ I love your messin’’. The brightness doesn’t last long, though, as ‘Climb Aboard’ soon proves. It’s the most downhearted song on the sampler, and somehow they manage to mix 60s, jazz and a Doves sort of sound together and make it sound good.

‘Hotel Juicy Parlour’ ends by carrying on the 60s theme that runsthroughout, and blending rock in on ‘Transmission Land’ – soundsstrange in theory, but works in practice. It bizarrely reminds me of Button Moon(listen to the words, and you’ll understand why). If the album is as goodas this, we should be in for a treat. Highly recommended.

(PRE)

Natasha Perry