Van Damsel “S/T”

This is the debut album from Van Damsel but they have released a couple of EPs. That doesn’t mean that they have decided to play it safe on this first full release. Indeed, they have released a debut which incorporates both indie rock but also glossy synth. It’s a combination of sounds which is very ‘now’.

After building up the anticipation with the atmospheric sounds of “Foreword”, we get the bright and breezy “Domino”. It’s a very cool song which blends an indie pop sound with a more electronic and synthesised feel. Along with songs like “Caught” and “Sophia”, they have an instant appeal. They are songs as much designed for the pop charts as the indie clubs.

There is no hiding from the fact that Van Damsel will be compared to the 1975. Songs like “The 21^st Century” and “People In The City” (which boasts a sax solo) have the same level of grandeur that they strive for. However, also like that band, Van Damsel are really at their best when they stick to the briefer indie, electro pop tunes.

Tracks like “Jericho” could easily be big hits, that could really see the band explode. Final song “Sentences” is yet another song which you imagine being perfect for a summer festival. Many of the songs lead you to imagining a euphoric crowd, arms aloft, in a field, on a late summer afternoon (not that many festivals are blessed with that weather in reality!).

It’s quite remarkable how we have seen a wave of bands embracing an almost eighties electro indie/pop sound. Although, maybe that’s just due to our age and the fact we remember it from the first time around! Van Damsel are one of those few bands that have successfully taken that sound and made it cool rather than naff. You really just sense that, with the right exposure, they could be huge. Now all we have to do is wait for confirmation of the festival bookings and the long hot summer!