This brother-sister duo (and friends) are swimming in London Grammar's indie electronic slipstream
Hometown: Devon.
The lineup: Abi Sinclair (vocals), Chris Sinclair (electronics), Ed Burton (drums), Jamie Coe (guitar), Harri Chambers (keyboards).
The background: London Grammar reaching number 2 in the album charts with If You Wait proved that all these post-xx indie electronic groups, with their soulful female vocals and spacious, dubsteppy sonics, did have commercial potential after all, especially after several others of that ilk such as Ms Mr have faltered. The album's success also confirmed Bob Stanley's recent theory that "the ersatz often trumps the original" - in a way, there was more fuss about London Grammar than there was about the xx circa the release of Coexist.
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Bat and Ball, who got together at Goldsmiths (see also: Blur, Katy B, James Blake) last year, are a post-xx duo who sometimes swell to a five-piece during live performances. They're a good-looking pair, as you can see in their supremely now-ish video, although we'd better quickly qualify that by explaining that they're a brother-sister act, and that when they sing, on the title track of their debut EP, about how We Prefer It in the Dark, they're presumably talking about something other than sex. Even Mariella Frostrup wouldn't feature that kind of coupling in that box of hers. Actually, what Abi Sinclair is singing about doing under cover of darkness is unclear. She does mention "the drinking of medicine" a few times, before wondering, "What's in your lies?" and alluding to press fabulation. Hmm.
It's not just an xx thing. There is a Florence-y stridency to Sinclair's voice, as well as a Scandinavian purity, with some of the idiosyncrasy of Lykke Li. Something about her delivery suggests not noir melancholia or sensuous provocation, but a staccato eccentricity; it can be more comical than come-hither. "We prefer it in the dark - the dark - the dark," she repeats, with impish glee, adding: "Don't tell me you got no heroes." Others can hear elements of Chlöe Howl's cheeky chirrup in Sinclair's voice, and in Bat and Ball's clipped, crisp quirk-pop some of Alt-J's mannered charm. Unrelated is a little bit Aluna, a little bit, well, she sounds like a jazz or nightclub singer bursting to escape her indie environs, and that's not necessarily a criticism, just an enticement to earn extra cash by moonlighting. Tails is skittering, drum'n'dubstep, but the song is dominated by Sinclair's scarred (not scared) chanteuse delivery and her intriguing lyrics: "We stayed up every night... I'm a monster," she wails, with crystal clarity. Gawd. We hope her brother wasn't there.
The buzz: "It is a long time since I have seen so much talent in one band."
The truth: They're the Jack and Meg of dinner-party blubstep.
Most likely to: Stimulate bloggy debate.
Least likely to: Have intercourse on prime-time TV.
What to buy: The We Prefer It in the Dark EP is released by Hospital Samples on October 14.
File next to: Chvrches, the xx, Rekina Spektor, London Grammar.
Links: batandballband.tumblr.com.
Monday's new band: Rey Pila.
by Paul Lester via Music: Electronic music | theguardian.com
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