Infectious, upbeat, 2-step influenced indie-punk from London’s finest, Olympus Mons.
I’ve heard a lot about this band but this album was the first I’d actually heard of their music. Snapped up a little under a year ago by French label, Dad Records, I can only assume they knew something that the rest of the UK music scene is about to learn…
‘Nothing’s Gonna Spoil My Day Today’ is a frenetic sprint through the indie genre, with influences of reggae, 2-step, ska, punk and pop clear in many of the tracks. Front-man Aaron McIntosh’s voice presents the listener with a laid-back drawl that fits surprisingly well with the urgent speed with which much of the instrumentation is delivered. Standout tracks for me include, ‘Let The First Time Be The Last’ (ironically the first single), which displays the album’s most catchy chorus and ‘Follow You Down’, which shows that the band can write an infectious indie/pop slow-burner as well as anyone in the charts today.
At all times there’s a lot happening on the album and whilst I’m sure some would call it too busy, I would call it excitable; to me it draws comparisons with The Libertines early tracks or The Strokes, when they were on the verge of hitting the big time. The band’s Myspace lists influences in At The Drive In, something that wasn’t evident to me on the first listen, but after visiting the page and giving the album another spin, the urgency with which the band deliver their sound is not a million miles from ATDI or some of the more low-key parts of The Mars Volta.
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I would suggest that the album as a whole is perhaps a touch too long and one or two of the songs take a while to get moving, but overall, ‘Nothing’s Gonna Spoil My Day Today’ is a very engaging listen from a great band. Olympus Mons are a name I expect to hear a lot more over the coming months and I look forward to seeing what they can do live.
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