As much as the great blend of dreamy pop sonics and rawer indie guitar that sets up “Northern Lights* is brilliantly lush and wonderfully infectious, there is a vibe hanging over the song too, a slightly nostalgic feeling that has me scanning my old vinyl collection as a prompt to what it reminds me of. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it is close to the more finessed songs by post – The Fall’s Brix E Smith’s The Adult Net songs or the more hazy end of The Darling Buds back catalogue.
Sputnik the Band are masters of the clever pop song and like “Starlight’s Glow,” which was my introduction to the band, they again remind us that the genre never used just to be so insular and unadventurous, that it used to be a place where cool guitar lines and deft and delicate vocals, were just as welcome as digital groove and infectious beats. Here, Northern Lights revel in all of that and more.
Taken from their latest album, Loves You, this is a great first toe in the water for anyone who wants to explore their sun-kissed sonic world, one where they are found blending nostalgic sounds with forward-thinking modernity.
There will likely be few discerning music fans who will listen to this single and not make a mental decision to buy the album. If it’s the singles’ job to tease and trail in such an anticipatory and interesting way, “Northern Lights” deserves a massive pay rise.
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