(This review was posted on thetripwire.com on November 20, 2006. Keep an eye on that website for more of my work in the near future.)
Once upon a time (about five years ago), a band from
Their recently released Sing Song EP (Astralwerks) is fun, to say the least. According to the band’s website, ”They came up with Uncle Lee’s Rule of Feet [during recording]. The rule stated that a song was deemed appropriate if, and only if, each of the Little Ones’ feet could shuffle.” Luckily, the self-imposed rule led them to success. Their indie pop is catchy like label-mates
The group’s sound screams of
The band (expectedly) played all seven songs from their EP. The melody on “High on a Hill” brought to mind the ‘50s pop from the movie “That Thing You Do.” The band combined that aesthetic with the ‘80s flavor of Simple Minds on “Oh, MJ.” The drawn-out “whoa” at the start of “Let Them Ring The Bells” sounded as if it were borrowed from Mates of State. The upbeat jingle “Cha Cha Cha” turned many frowns upside-down, despite how grumpy or weather-trodden Chicagoans tend to be. On “Face the Facts,” the band even dared to use a cowbell, and then managed to not sound pretentious (after all, the cowbell has become the most overplayed, albeit underused, instrument of the decade thanks to Saturday Night Live). At one point in the show, Ed Reyes warned the audience that the upcoming song was extremely dark and hoped they wouldn’t be disturbed. Even those who had heard the EP half believed him, but were relieved when the lighthearted affair was not interrupted by some depressing spell. “Lovers Who Uncover” closed the set, providing an updated take on Sunday’s Best’s airy indie rock. That song’s hand claps and “hey” chants secured the devotion of anyone left in the crowd who wasn’t already dancing.
Listeners who are still on the fence after hearing the Little Ones’ studio recordings should be much more interested after seeing them live. They affirmed the notion that a band’s true potential is demonstrated on stage. At this point, the band has a couple different directions they can take. But that’s the point of an EP; to test out the water. For the Little Ones, the water looks warm, crystal-clear, and full of little multicolored fish waiting to follow them. And since Sing Song EP is a stronger set of songs than most full length albums this year, it should hold over fans until the band can supply a full length CD of their own. Until then cherish the beautiful feeling their music inspires, and don’t fight the urge when your feet start to shuffle.The Little Ones:
Website
MySpace
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