Those jangly guitars and powdery vocals at the start of ‘Oh George’ inspire imagery of sunny beaches and laid back, surf-inspired vibes. Faultless harmonies lead the song with the characteristically English title, Peaness joyfully not trying to be anyone other than themselves. Not focused on neatly fitting rhymes into lines, the lyrics take on a poetic form; simple sentiments in a free-flowing structure.
‘Seafoam Islands’ sounds vocally angelic in parts, but the upbeat guitars keep the track fun and humorous. The clap and stomp along rhythm sounds familiar, reminiscent of Django Django’s ‘Default’. The lo-fi sound seems effortless, singer Jess Branney (one half of a slick vocal team alongside Carleia “Balla”) cool and casual in performance.
The feel-good melodies continue through ‘Same Place’, an acceptance of getting stuck in one situation. “I’m no longer afraid of repeats […] we go walking through the same streets […] but I don’t mind,” the laidback chorus sings. ‘Skin Surfing’ – a brilliant metaphor for intimacy – takes on an even further subdued sound, drums kept to a minimum, replaced by cymbals, grungier riffs and vocals pushed a little further.
Saccharine in style but confrontational in content, ‘Ugly Veg’ focuses on a bigger issue, inspired by a food-waste documentary: “I want to see oceans clean / I want the world to stay green”. Packing five tracks with a glimmering range of sounds, and covering the minutiae of relationships to the daunting bigger picture, EP ‘Are You Sure?’ is over too quickly but easy to play again. An indie-pop burst of sunlight in an otherwise cloudy sky, Peaness’ first release since signing to Alcopop! Records is a dream.
KATHRYN BLACK