“Summer makes me drowsy. Autumn makes me sing"
Dorothy Parker
Like everyone else, the first thing you that will strike you about Brooklyns' World Atlas is how they sound almost unnervingly similar to TBWTAS era Belle and Sebastian. From the voices of the girl and boy to the guitar to the bass, the band sound almost cheekily close, but make no mistake, there is more to this band to pastiche.
Where B&S were the impenetrable cool gang of older siblings, World Atlas are more like your quiet gang of friends from the local library. Warmly inviting you into their world of crimson and honey autumn leaves, dancing alone in bedrooms, dusty books, candid photography and buttoned down regret, theirs is a world of blowing the steam off a cup of tea and watching the world go by from the dirty window of a sad cafe.
Most immediate and representative of the band is the song 'Girl on a Boys Bike', a thoughtful twinkle of a song with lyrics taken directly from a scuffed, coffee mug ringed notebook. The ending with the girls and boys voices melting together just floors me every time. Its perfect autumn music.
'XOXO' is sadly not about beefy beverages, but a smart, modish little sixties swinger about falling in love and lust with a brain and a bust. Its a got a snappy, clappy, happy water tight rhythm and crispy guitar that would not sound out of place on a Spencer Davies record.
'The Winter Stories' is 'Dylan in the Movies' little brother. Be warned, its rhythm and strings will have you nodding away to yourself on the bus. Lets hope no-ones looking.
Put them on your Walkman and take long way home.
http://www.myspace.com/theworldatlas
World Atlas's debut EP is available from here-
http://magicmarkerrecords.com/shop.html
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