San Cisco are one of those bands that make you feel bad about being a twenty-something underachiever. With an average age of 18, the group have just released their second EP, earned a top ten spot in the 2011 triple j Hottest 100 have just announced a national tour.
San Cisco’s First EP Golden Revolver provided a fresh angle on pop and it’s their youth and playfulness that is the key to the quartet’s appeal. Opening track Awkward is adorably quirky thanks to the simple melody and rapport between front man Jordi Davieson and drummer Scarlett Stevens. While not quite as catchy, Rocket Ship still has enough of San Cisco’s signature sing along to make it radio-friendly.
It’s when the band tackle more sombre material that things start to unravel. Arctic Monkeys cover 505 feels unnatural and too downbeat for the usually up-tempo group. The confessional Lover tries to mix hand claps with heartbreak but the result is a confusing mix of keyboards and ‘do dos’.
Fortunately, final single Reckless manages to find a middle ground between lively arrangement and serious subject matter, showing this band have plenty of depth and potential to come.
BY NICOLE RYAN
Best Track: Awkward
If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Vampire Weekend VAMPIRE WEEKEND, Post Paradise THE HOLIDAYS
In A Word: Innocent
