Labels: Lovitt
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Well, Lovitt keep up their tradition of putting out any record going by ex-members of Sleepytime Trio. Guess it’s just good luck that they are always records worth listening to. Bats & Mice are ex / current members of most of the Sleepytime offshoots, and musically they are most similar to Engine Down. Mellow and subtle indie rock that is prone to breaking into occasional louder parts. Opening song “This All Can Become Completely The Same” drifts into a pleasantly rocking intro, before building up to the louder chorus, where they interweave vocals superbly, one trading off the other. Following that is “Your Myself”, which utilises piano to vary things on it’s downbeat journey. Finally there is “The Bridge Is Out”, which leads things off in a slow and sad sounding fashion, before building up the volume, yet still keeping the rock subdued and on slow-burn, eventually fading off into the distance.
So, just like Engine Down’s 2nd LP, Bats & Mice are very similar to the much missed Boilermaker. It’s just a shame that there is only 3 songs, as I am sure they could easily keep the interest going across a full album.