Recently I’ve had a bit of a thing for lo-fi pop. You know, basic, raw pop tunes that sound like somebody’s scrabbled them together in about ½ an hour, but still have the power to draw vivid pictures. Fresh from supporting Los Campesinos! And Tokyo Police Club, ultCult are the latest band to catch my attention, sounding remarkably fresh and like they’re in a complete world of their own.
Radio 1’s Huw Stevens loves them, and whilst normally I’m not a huge fan of his picks, he’s on the money with ultCult. The tunes on their myspace all sound like they should be the soundtrack to a dreamy Skins episode, like the homemade demos of Patrick Wolf or Lykke Li.
Lead singer Lucille’s vocals sound remarkably fragile, like a singer who has yet to be corrupted by the remarkably vicious UK music industry. She reminds me a bit of a younger version of Lesley Feist (of 1,2,3,4, fame), particularly on Odious Emporium, which is below for free download.
Just back from Iceland where they recorded their debut single, the Yorkshire four piece look set to have a busy year ahead, based upon the already glowing response they’ve had. If you want to catch them live, they play London’s Macbeth on Friday 8th August, and Doncaster’s Vintage Rockbar on Sunday 14th September.
Free MP3: ultCult – Odious Emporium (demo)
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