Squarehead – Yeah Nothing

Yeah Nothing, the debut LP from Irish guitar pop trio Squarehead, forges links between Beach Boys-style overlapping vocal harmonies and a rougher-edged garage rock. Given the familiarity of those influences, it’s a strikingly distinctive blend, all the more effective for the strength of the melodies. These are songs saturated with a dreamy, sunkissed melancholy that ensures they feel both fresh and comfortingly familiar on the first listen.

Fake Blood, the first single and closing track, encapsulates this infectious quality perfectly, all handclaps and lilting guitar washes. The overall effect feels something like a distillation of Animal Collective’s poppier moments, stripped back to a set of unassuming garage hooks; the beauty and strangeness of much 60s pop revisited with contemporary ears. Squarehead’s musical ambitions are far more modest than the comparison suggests, but within its range, Yeah Nothing has an unusually charming and authentic feel. [Sam Wiseman]