Band: The OK Social Club
Release: The Late 90s
Release Date: 20/07/12
Snapping and crackling with masterful exuberance, The OK Social Club’s second single is a bolt of lightning to the heart of a dreary indie summer.
The Edinburgh 4-piece have spent most of their career to date honing their infectious riffs around the country and this tightness shines through on this catchy burst of pop brillance.
Straight from the off ‘The Late 90’s’ blows the majority of the competition out of the water, with it’s start/stop intro demonstrating both innovation and craft. Chris Finn’s subtly catchy guitar line and some pounding percussion build the sonic layers and channel the song beautifully towards Raff Eragona’s sugary vocals.
Despite their modern sound, the song deals with the stickiness of meeting old friends and the universal feeling of having rown apart. “I used to finish your sentences/But now I don’t know what you’re on about.”
Dripping in youthful nostalgia, the song spirals towards a chorus as energetic as DZ Deathrays mixed with the refinement of early-Strokes. Name checking infamous Edinburgh haunts from back in the day, the song never gets caught looking backwards but continually drives forwards on a melodic rollercoaster.
And in under 3 minutes it’s done. Instead of simply wearing their influences on their sleeves, The OK Social Club have bent them to their will and sculpted a sound that is uniquely their own. Their music swings with a perfect ying and yang, resonating like an iron fist in a velvet glove. ‘The Late 90’s’ will lure you in with it’s honey harmonies or pin you down with it’s machine gun guitars – either way you’ll be having a great time.
8/10
Reviewer: Mark McKinlay
