Splashh – Comfort

Far from ITV’s recent abomination of a Saturday night reality TV series, Splashh manage to provide entertainment that captures the enjoyment of a sunny day and mix it with heartfelt integrity. The Hackney quartet are fresh out of the cool side of London and have, over the last year, released three singles signed to Luv Luv Luv records. I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of the record label or Splashh before very recently, but after a little digging it seems that the indie label (that also manages Florence And The Machine) would revel in my ignorance as they follow an ethos that is so obviously cool.

The band bring the sounds of 1960s psychedelic rock to those who are too young or were too good to remember the original movement, and mix it in with straight-forward indie rock that seems to fill our festivals at the moment. Whilst their interests and influences span David Hockney, the Rolling Stones, and tie-dye, their music seems bang up-to-date. Like tie-dye, perhaps psyche-rock has made a comeback, with Splashh releasing the album just in time to soak up the last of the summer rays.

Comfort, as their debut album, captures the heady atmosphere of the summer months. The opening track, Headspins, sets the crunchy lo-fi tone of what is to follow, overlaid with Sasha Carlson’s airy vocals and accompanying synths. At times the aloof vocals, applied with roomfuls of reverb, seem reminiscent of MGMT, whereas at other moments the driving guitar reminds me of The Velvet Underground. Admittedly, some of the tracks seem to merge into one another and pass in what seems a dreamlike state that is oh, so familiar with this sort of rock. There are, however, a few gems such as Green And Blue, which slows down the pace and adds a new spectrum of synthesiser and guitar-based riffs which really help the album to stand out.

The very nature of how the album was released goes towards proving just how the band has the cool of popular culture on lockdown. With copies available up to four weeks in advance from indie record shops such as Rough Trade, and 12” records available featuring the pastel coloured album cover, Splashh know exactly the audience they are going for. It’s not just a pretty album cover though; Comfort is definitely worth a listen. Who knows, if tie-dye survives the winter then this band will definitely be one to watch for next festival season.