THE BRUNETTES – Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks (Lil’ Chief)

A love of Phil Spector sounds, a gorgeous selection of winsome tunes that could make the Beach Boys weep, a swirl of electronics and harmonies and make and female vocals that will make you heart beat faster. This is The Brunettes, a band from New Zealand you’ve likely never heard of but who you’ll be hearing a lot of soon.

Sounding a little like a fusion of The Aislers Set and The Postal Service, The Brunettes are one of those bands who conjure up hazy memories of summertime, who employ instruments by the dozen to create a joyous, wondrous, rich sound. They aren’t afraid to experiment, but the fruits of every experiment are things of pure beauty.

“The Moon In June Stuff”, the opener here, is lush, a country-esque explosion of rather glorious sound with a breathy female vocal and big, orchestral sound, that eventually descends into the groovy, sublime, 60’s laced “Cupid”. It’s reminiscent of Joy Zipper, and it’s a mellow, sweet-sounding little wonder, laden with strings and sweet, caressing vocals. Delightful indeed.

“Holding Hands”, too, has a chorus to die for, a voice so sweet it makes the listener swoon. And “Dancefloor” is reminiscent of The Aislers Set’s “Hey Lover”, whilst “Summer Love” is like Camera Obscura on a warm summer evening. It’s beautiful, engaging, and it creates a wonderful warm sensation of longing for faded poster pin-up boys, of driving on the freeway searching for that boy, of summer romances and sugar-sweet innocent dreams.

There are almost too many standout tracks to list. “Mafioso” is theatrical and witty, an up and down ballad of breathy female vocals, pleading male vocals, full-on tunes and a sinister but carefree, playful air. “Tell Her” is a Shangri-La’s take on a two-timing lover, a gorgeous 60’s sound with sugary vocals and a layered, resounding sound, with compulsory spoken bit. And “Super Eight” is measured, deliberate, and pouty, with a nod to the Velvet Underground. It’s sorrowful, delicious, and deeply, deeply moving, a wonderful piece of music indeed.

With Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks, The Brunettes have managed to come up with a veritable time-travelling gem of a record. It’s sugary-sweet, with 60’s sensibilities deliberately intertwined with 21st century style. It manages to create a carefree, engaging feel that I haven’t heard for ages, and it’s one of my favourite records of the year so far. You have to hear this.