The Travelling Band – Desolate Icicle

It comes as little surprise that The Travelling Band are favourites of glorified Glastonbury farmer Michael Eavis. If his festival’s original ethos was all about being nice to your fellow man/flower child in a sun-soaked pastoral setting, then the Mancunian sextet’s music fits the bill snugly. The title of their latest single, Desolate Icicle, may not exactly conjure images of the Summer Solstice, but the song itself is a warm, melodic number that skirts around the edges of The Beautiful South or the affected Americana of The Thrills. So it’s not challenging but convivial, and that’s entirely the point. [Nick Mitchell]