You may not be acquainted with the indie-pop quartet Snow Coats as of yet, but believe us, you’re going to be hearing their name repeatedly over the next few months. The product of the burgeoning Dutch indie scene, the group have spent the last year riding a wave of success within the Netherlands following the release of their debut long play Take The Weight Off Your Shoulders. Whilst the band are yet to break into our scene just yet, they’re set to ride that tsunami of hype right into our coast with their forthcoming EP Pool Girl. A four-course offering of acoustic indie-pop bangers, Pool Girl is an effervescently pleasant and giddy release that contains far more substance than it’s genre tag suggests. Driven by Anorak Van Der Kamp’s effortlessly cheerful vocals and miring sun-kissed acoustic melodies, Pool Girl narrates the stories, misadventures and anxieties of youths lived throughout endless summers with happy-go-lucky zeal. Yet, there’s a consistent air of faint bittersweetness evident, one that comes with the lyrical themes of retrospection and maturity – an aura synonymous with quiet passage from summer to fall. Such a sensation is heightened and made palpable with maple scented folk instrumentation and sensibilities, welcome inclusions that animate the emotion that runs parallel with the record’s almost power pop drive. The bubbly acoustic indie melodies of the title track opener and the infectious earworm of ’Set To Replay’ easily carries the same hyper-energised pop rush associated with bands such as Yours Truly and Stand Atlantic, but respective grounding emotion adds levity to the featherweight harmonies of this record. Similarly to the new releases from The Winter Passing and fellow labelmates Nelson Can, Pool Girl bristles with maturity, self-awareness and refined composure. On first listen, such playfulness is gleaming and innocently arresting but with apt attention, hard learned tales of the crucial nature of self-care and self-awareness play out with urgency. Following on from the borderline pop-punk bop of the unrelating ‘Jersey Weather’ – a respective feel good bop that’s set to inhabit your head – the final track ’Navy Blue, sees the folk ambience take centre stage. As Kamp’s musings intertwine with gently jubilant mandolin leads, a tangible sense of early autumn warmth wafts overhead and adds further amplifies to the lyrical themes of pained retrospection. Even with the adolescent energy unbroken, its a great and tender climax. In all, the only criticism one could have with this release is the lack of musical weight. But even then, the joy and balance between pop energy and delicate composure fully makes up for the lack of electric leads. Simply, this is a fantastic introduction to a band set capture the UK scene with ease and a must listen for anyone in an interest in both folk tinted alt pop and music bountiful in heart and warmth. Score: 8/10 Pool Girl is released September 11th via Alcopop! Records. Pre-order the EP here.
