Forth Wanderers – Forth Wanderers

Forth Wanderers’ dual songwriters – vocalist Ava Trilling and guitarist Ben Guterl – create music in isolation from one another, passing songs back and forth before bringing them to the rest of the band. From a classicist’s perspective it doesn’t seem to be the most conducive method of making music, but other bands have found success piecing their sound together while apart – the Animal Collective-gone-pop of Superorganism most recently. Similarly, Forth Wanderers have managed to produce a record that’s of a piece, made in a way that reflects how we interact in modern times.

Following on from their excellent 2016 slacker-rock anthem Slop, this self-titled collection is anchored by another one – the album’s centrepiece Not for Me. The track bristles with energy, driven along by Zach Lorelli’s beefy drumming, with several rhythmic and melodic change-ups backing Trilling’s emphatic romanticism. The outlying Be My Baby briefly interrupts the momentum with queasy guitars more at home on a Mac DeMarco song, but the bottomless hooks of New Face kick everything back into gear down the final straight.

This may be billed as their second album, but for those who haven’t been keeping up, it's a great introduction to an exciting young band fully-formed. With it, they may be joining the hallowed halls of the Sub Pop roster, but they don’t look out of place.

Listen to: Nevermine, Not for Me, New Face