It would be quite easy, at first listen, to dismiss The Maccabees as a bunch of second-rate Futurehead copyists and move on. The jittery stop-start rhythms, the guitar riffs so sharp they're angular - everything's there.
Yet there's a tenderness to this four-piece that can't help but tug at your heartstrings. The way that Orlando Weeks sings "I noticed you, you stuck out like a sore thumb" is heart-warming enough, but to follow it with "the most beautiful sore thumb I've ever seen", well, it's enough to make you immediately reserve a copy of the forthcoming album.
Rather like previous single First Love, this is dark and edgy indie guitar rock with an unashamedly romantic heart. Don't let them slip under the radar - The Maccabees are one of the best new bands of the year.
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