Artrocker – 24th September 2012

Crybaby
We’re Supposed To Be In Love EP
(Helium Records)

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The modern fascination with ‘retro’ has become rather tiring of late. If it’s not a gauloises-smoking clotheshorse pretending to be Jackie O, it’s some idiot romping around East London with portable record player. We’re not going to lie: it’s made us considerably grumpy.

With this in mind, Crybaby’s latest EP should’ve sent us into a blind fury; a whirlwind of flailing limbs and colourful language. Only it didn’t. Because it’s surprisingly excellent.

The bittersweet, reverbed guitar stomp of ‘We’re Supposed To Be In Love’ instantly thrills, before the EP jack-knifes back into the minor-chord lament of ‘Water To Wine’ – a song that genuinely wouldn’t feel out of place on a 007 soundtrack.

Bundled up with delicious covers of Daniel Johnston’s ‘True Love Will Find You In The End’ and Billie Holiday’s ‘Gloomy Sunday’, We’re Supposed… cements its place as one of those increasingly rare musical beasts: an honest, nostalgia-tinted EP that never threatens to become half-arsed pastiche of styles from yesteryear. More of this, please. – Rory Carroll