The Sophs - Goldstar
Rated by independent powerhouse Rough Trade Records as one of their most exciting signings in years, LA’s The Sophs debut album justifies the hyperbole. Across this sharp, shape-shifting collection of tracks, upbeat melodies collide with sneering, passive-aggressive lyrics and flashes of vulnerability.
Often like Muse without the bombast, the guitars are huge but not over-utilised, infrequently giving way to delta blues, gothic poems or pure pop. An album which reveals more with each listen, Goldstar has all the ingredients needed to propel the six-piece outfit into the mainstream, whether they like it or not. Thrillingly weird and wonderful.