"Sun And Rain" is Hamburg trio TENFOLD LOADSTAR'S debut single and it's a sublime introduction to their diverse pop-trimmed-with-electronica sound.
No, you probably won't know much about them yet, but this seductive slice of loveliness will ensure they'll soon be impinging on your consciousness. So, firstly a little essential information: Tenfold Loadstar consist of Caro Garske (vocals/ guitar), Bjoern Matthias (drums, electronics) and Felix Weisner (guitar/ vocals), and they've been plying the margins since 1999 or thereabouts.
"Sun And Rain" ought to raise their profile quickly. Its' deceptively simple folky acoustic guitar figure blends beautifully with unfussy loops and comes over as a near cousin of Matt Harding's more straightforward moments, topped off with a delicisiously breathy vocal from Caro that's not a million miles from Hope Sandoval's ghostly beauty. Its' nagging hooks are nigh on perfectly inserted and its' bittersweet atmosphere reflects the melancholy downside of the summer to a T. The 'original' and 'radio' mixes aren't too dissimilar, though the 'radio' mix is arguably the more immediate.
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The single's presented in maxi form with a slew of dance-y remixes, though these reshapings are actually pretty creditable in the main. All are listenable enough, but for me the best are Finnish DJ Jori Hulkonnen's Aura Mix, which accentuates the breakbeats'n'synths and the closing Frank Martinek Sun Dance Mix, which is glitchy and sparse and recalls both Akufen and (at a push) Ascoltare's more approachable tracks.
Obviously, your reviewer would like to sample further wares before throwing himself into raptures, but "Sun And Rain" shows off an astute knowledge of classy pop and the cutting edge: a recipe that can't fail as he sees it.
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