Allo, Darlin'

There are few songs that manage to put a giant grin on my face as I listen to them. Allo, Darlin’ have managed to do that with two of the three songs on their latest EP. It’s worth bearing in mind that I haven’t even heard the third song.

Title track Henry Rollins Don’t Dance (live video) could well end up being the indiepop song of the year. The relatively simple setup of a Grease soundtrack loving girl and a punk-rocker boy in a club could easily fill the song in itself. Somehow though it manages to descend into an absurd scene of Henry Rollins shaking his fist at Abba at a disco. That it has brass, what sounds like ukuleles and manages to segue into some of You’re the One That I Want is nothing short of spectacular.

Dear Stephen Hawking is rather more restrained, but no less interesting. Starting off as what sounds like a vaguely stalkerish tale about the theoretical physicist’s love life that even our narrator admits sounds “obsessive”. It develops into a plea for him to use his impressive mind to calculate the science behind love. As concepts for two and a half minute pop songs go, it’s certainly unique.

The wonderful Henry Rollins Don’t Dance EP is out now on WeePOP!, possibly the nicest label about.

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