I saw The Loves late last year when supporting Darren Hayman in their hometown's Clwb Ifor Bach. From back then, I recall singer Simon having the awkward, Fraggle-Rock cool of a spaceman who's just returned from a heady venture to the stars, and, backed by a keyboard-tickler with the camp vivacity of a German soft porn star (specifically that distinguished blonde from numerous films whose titles escape me) and a dreamy brunette on co-lead vocals, they were utterly, fun-time fantastic.

Straddling the borders between indie and rock ‘n' roll with fuzzy, loved-up glee, Xs and Os is the undisputed bubblegum Daddy here, but the EP throws up an accompanying trio of gems to die for. The retro rock 'n' roll fun of the title track evokes abstract images of The Beatles being fed through The Monkeys' pure pop machine, while the country ebb of My Sweet Drunken Blues For You fulfils the most perverse dreams of a spaghetti-Bob Dylan. The cover of Brazilian psychedelic crusaders Os Mutantes' Nao Va Se Perder Pro Ai meanwhile bounces with brilliant obscurants' ebullience.

Possessing that quintessential, multi-faceted indie curiosity, The Loves are pure pop poetry in motion. Embrace them soon, if it's the last thing you do.

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