The Little Ones
Sing Song EP
[Branches/Astralwerks; 2006]
Rating: 7.0
MySpace makes this easy: Angelenos the Little Ones sound like "tiki shacks, lobster, thought bubbles, winks, juggling, laughter, games of laser tag, chocolate, burritos and smiles," according to themselves. And while six songs of Sound of Music-type favorite things-- updated girls in white dresses, satin sashes-- buttressed by hand claps, Go Team!-esque shouts, and melodicas might seem as delightful-turned-truly-horrific as jelly donuts for dinner, the Little Ones' Sing Song EP delivers cheery pop that is, in the end, strangely easy to stomach. Influences are "everything around you," and that's more or less the truth: sounds are culled from so many Californians and indie pop figureheads-- the Shins, the Kinks, Elephant 6-- and also less likely targets: maybe it's just coincidence, but mp3 blogger favorite, "Lovers Who Uncover" sounds weirdly akin to the Spinto Band's "Oh Mandy" down to the nasally echoes, everything. It's still catchy and happy and strong regardless, and alongside "Cha Cha Cha"-- a chiller foot-mover that crescendos and dissolves into "la"s and "oh"s like the most natural of movie fadeouts-- this pair stands out as the EP's obvious, heart-warming best.
What's notable for an indie pop band is a refusal to shy from length. Nearly all songs clock in at over three minutes; some even approach five. Sing Song is a record for happy jigs, sure, but the Little Ones aren't necessarily in the business of miniature, joyous, fleeting ditties. Though it's typically the angry, brooding songs that hit the five-minute mark-- less commonly does hand-clapping persist for so long-- the Little Ones don't follow protocol, don't confine pop packages to cream puff size and, instead, are the dessert buffet that dares you to sit back and be sick of them. But stamina's noble, and the EP's the better-- and more interesting-- for it. Case in point: "Oh, MJ!" is about as boring as things ever get on Sing Song get and even then, there's something in the song's build-up that makes it finally interesting, finally worth it. Nothing supremely original here, but it's getting there.
Posted to pitchfork by Rachel Khong on September 08, 2006