York-based label Bad Paintings have shown great ambition and have arguably been punching above their weight from the got-go, with single releases by The Babies amongst others early on, plus Stranger by Starlight’s ‘Chalk White Nights’ album last year and, most recently, their Herculean RSD double vinyl Xiu Xiu ‘Best of’. They’re also at the cutting edge of the cassette revival. And now, they’re bringing to the world the debut EP from Shorts – released on 7” single, naturally, with a ‘zine and download completing the package.
Shorts without doubt fit into the ‘supergroup’ category, at least on a cult level: while based in Brooklyn, NY, and ostensibly a solo project by Scott and Charlene’s Wedding singer, Mikael Caterer, Shorts are fleshed out by Jonah Maurer (from Free Time, Titus Andronicus, Real Estate) to play bass and Dylan Shumaker (Woodsman, Alex Bleeker and the Freaks) to play the drums. They’re joined by Adrian Tregonning, who recently relocated from Melbourne to the US, on guitar and keys.
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Far from being overtly ‘bummed out and strung out’ as the press release suggests (at least musically), ‘Berlin 1971’ is magnificently breezy, sunny, with easygoing harmonies and a Byrdsian jangle. There’s a wistful melancholy that underscores the lyrics, though, making for a bittersweet pop gem. ‘Happy 10th Birthday’ is a minute and 44 seconds of woozy, disorientatingly warped electrodoodling, and it’s complemented by the psyched-out electrodiscokrautrock of ‘Wonder (I Just Wanna)’, which is far out and strung out, a lo-fi analogue sunburst of a song. The EP’s bookended with ‘She Feels the Sting’, which stands as a worthy companion to the light pop melodies of the title track.
Shorts Online
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