I’m a sucker for a good title – it enamours me to the music before I even hear the first note. Sometimes this can lead to disappointment and a pithy remark like, “the best thing about this dross is the title – don’t be fooled.” Happily enough, there’s more to Cancel the Astronauts then a witty EP name.
Thus, 'I'm The President of Your Fanclub (And Last night I Followed You Home)' the debut EP from the Edinburgh five-piece, is a short collection of slightly abrasive indie-pop packed with subtle wit, creepy intentions and catchy choruses. Imagine if Keane had those lobotomies reversed and were put on a course of personality injections – that’s kind of how the rather epic but intimate ‘Late in the City’ sounds. The star of that song is the Fisher Price sounding keyboard parts that run through it, alongside the sneaky build up into an urgent sounding chorus.
There’s plenty of personality in the vocals throughout, veering from earnest to sinister with very little effort. There isn’t a defining sound to these five songs, which is to say that they don’t all sound the same. The title track is possibly the highlight of the EP, but they all have their own qualities. ‘Love Somebody’ is only a slight subversion on the standard indie-pop number, but the expressive vocals are the missing link and possibly the bands’ biggest asset. The dramatic and ominous ‘Let’s Go Expo’ is a mini-musical in the shape of a song, offering up the smutty side of youth and young manhood in a way not seen since the Arctic Monkeys downed their last Smirnoff ice. The lack of glossy production is also an important factor in this, as the rough edges are what I engaged with first.
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Charm, potential and damned good songwriting is the conclusion on Cancel the Astronauts – much more than a quirky title.
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