The lovechild of two italian expats and two homegrown musicians, Turnpike Glow appear to have found a concoction founded on a recipe of distinctively British-tinged indie rock and a healthy dose of Italy’s sunny disposition and bella vita. In a genre where one is more likely to come across semi-depressed acoustic bands or, in equal measure, watered-down math-rock, the foursome deliver their indie with a welcome sense of fun and an eye on the dancefloor on EP ‘Inflatable Optimism’.
’No More Dancing’ has summer-y melodies, floating synths and irresistably dance-y drums that, throughout the EP, consistently provides the thread around which the twists and turns of the other instruments can rotate. ‘1986’ is all stop-start and a massive chorus, but its infectious fun is no doubt a product of the jaunty falsetto vocals and the bigged-up bouncy bass at the back, as well as its catchy non-sensical melodies. In some areas, they might be compared to Phoenix in relation to the airy quality of their indie and the distinctive use of synth.
<a href=“http://turnpikeglow.bandcamp.com/album/inflatable-optimism-ep” data-mce-href=“http://turnpikeglow.bandcamp.com/album/inflatable-optimism-ep”>Inflatable Optimism EP by Turnpike Glow</a>
The guitars in ‘Marie’ are reminiscent of The Strokes but more effortlessly cool synth goes a long way into making this short burst of sound into a little fragment of fun in which every emotional line is followed by ethereal ‘ouh-la-las’. Short and sweet, unlike closer ‘The Turn, The Pike and the Glow’ which, in comparison to the rest of the record, is dirtier, sexier and eminently more confident. La Mela’s basslines are huge here, but nearly all instruments have their moment to shine without endangering the flow of the track. It’s fun, but importantly its much, much bigger than the rest of the EP with everything taken up several notches.
Swiftly finished but the superb final track makes us hungry for more synthy indie-pop, a sentence I never thought I’d write.
3.5/5
‘Inflatable Optimism’ by Turnpike Ghost is available now on Bandcamp.
Turnpike Ghost links: Official Website|Facebook|Twitter|Soundcloud|Bandcamp
Words by James Berclaz-Lewis (@swissbearclaw)
