Who needs Fickle Friends? Plenty of people, once the Brighton quintet’s new single Cry Baby, out this week, gets the attention it deserves.
With its disco guitar, Eighties gloss and instantly hummable chorus sung by sole female member Natti Shiner, it adds a little indie cool to a pure pop sound, rather like the band’s new labelmates The 1975 and Years & Years.
The buzz began for Fickle Friends two years ago when they put their song Swim online. Its easy summer groove has now earned over a million Soundcloud plays, but a record deal didn’t materialise at the time.
They carried on regardless, playing at over 50 music festivals between then and now and finally ending up signed to Polydor.
The major label has had a good run of quality pop releases recently, including the debuts from Shura, Troye Sivan and Tove Lo. It’s early days, but with a decent-sized London show already booked for the autumn, this lot look like a good bet to join that list of essential albums soon.
Nov 3, Heaven, WC2 (0844 847 2351, heaven-live.co.uk)