Naives – Naives

Electropop | Indie Pop

65%

The debut album from this London duo is every bit as vibrant as it’s artwork suggests. The luscious retro synths and complex electronic beats sound like something from some 80s vision of the future. The album is a dizzying kaleidoscope of exotic and intoxicating soundscapes. It’s packed to the brim with bright summery charm and it takes no stretch of the imagination to picture the album being the soundtrack to many people’s festival memories. What really makes the record stand out is the sublime funky bass tones, most notably on ‘Fashion Pineapple’ and ‘Jugular Vein’, that manage to both keep the tracks grounded and draw you in deeper. There are plenty of simple yet effective pop hooks to make people pay attention, but don’t let them distract you too much from the surprisingly excellent musicianship underneath.

It’s not the kind of album that you’d sit and listen to as a whole, but there’s plenty of material here for slicing up and adding to all your favourite playlists. The album is a bit of a one trick pony and, regardless of how well they pull it off, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. For the occasional visitor however there is plenty on offer from Naives to brighten your day with occasional little pockets of joy. Whether the duo will stray from or further develop their hit formula remains to be seen, but it seems certain that these guys are here to stay. It may take a while for summer to come around the corner, but once it does you’ll find Naives anywhere there are good times to be had.