Pastels/Tenniscoats – Vivid Youth / About You

The pairing of Glasgow indie darlings The Pastels with Japanese avant-gardists Tenniscoats might seem like an oddly exotic match-up. But in actual fact Stephen McRobbie and Aggi Wright have forged close ties with the far eastern underground pop scene through their Geographic imprint. Vivid Youth, the first half of this double A-side, is a dream-pop gem; a lazily melodic 60s-sounding backing to breathy, sensuous female vocals, seemingly scored for poolside parties or cocktail bars. About You is also beguiling but lacks its predecessor’s direction and style, allowing for your attention to quickly fade. [Nick Mitchell]