Music
Album of the Week
Album of the Week: Anteros
Delve inside their dream-pop triumph debut When We Land.
Anteros’ reputation for irresistible indie-pop bangers has far preceded the release of their debut, When We Land.
Recorded with Charlie Andrew – Alt-J, Bloc Party, Crystal Fighters, etc – their retro-pop, new-wave vibes continue to riff on everything fans have come to expect since the release of their debut eponymous EP back in 2015.
Since then, the London-based four-piece – via Reading, Stockport and Barcelona, where singer Laura Hayden grew up – have been busy releasing EPs Breakfast (2016) and Drunk (2017) and collecting accolades, including being named The Telegraph’s New Faces of Pop 2019, DIY magazine’s Class of 2019 and Radio X’s Great X-Pectations for 2019.
Self-described as “bitter dream pop”, the new record blends beautifully delivered woozy pop melodies with clashing lyrics, and details a journey of self-discovery through the wasteland of early adulthood.
Call Your Mother is the perfect opener, brimming with an 80s vibe. Then add in a Blondie-esque chorus doling out advice… “Call your mother, she can make it better” – and we’re already sold.
Ring Ring continues the ’80s feel with heavy synths, dreamy vocals and a megawatt pop chorus. Breakfast is dizzyingly upbeat in contrast to its blunt lyrics: “It’s just I’m bored of talking for tonight… Why don’t you tell me over breakfast, cause I don’t need to know now”.
Drive On – which premiered as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World early this year – describes a blissful sunny day before pitting it against a wasteland “cus it feels like heaven but it looks like hell”.
With its fun-pun title, Fool Moon embodies the catchiest of pop beats, channelling fast-paced and splendid shoegaze while Afterglow riffs on early Psychedelic Furs – if combined with plenty of modern twists. This is something the London quartet do well, and while their inspirations are clear, their sound is completely unique.
Immediately unforgettable, Wrong Side was made for the dancefloor – a Blondie-esque club-night classic with enough dramatics and nostalgia to fit into a classic movie montage. The attitude-heavy and fiercely delivered pop anthem Drunk highlights the band’s sometime comparison to the iconic ska-pop legends No Doubt.
Ordinary Girl’s piano opener evokes a familiar comfort, like the start of a Leonard Cohen ballad, while the bold delivery of jarring lyrics “I could cry, cry, cry or ask myself why again” contrasts with the track’s slow tempo. It also marks the second short film of a series (see above) – which follows vocalist and lyricist Hayden lost in the desert, and then being found by the rest of the band, following on from Call Your Mother.
Anteros is a fitting closer as it winds down, dazed and romantic. There are hints of inspiration from namesake Anteros, the Greek God who represented requited love, and the punishment of those who were not interested in love or not returning love.
When We Land is an emotional rollercoaster – riotous in parts, relatable and vulnerable in others. It’s a collection of giddy, cloud nine-inducing pop tracks that both fly high and stay rooted to the ground in equal measure.
Anteros hit the road next month with 12 UK dates, plus a slot on the Reading & Leeds festival bill in August 2019. [Find tickets]
Tracklisting:
1. Call Your Mother
2. Ring Ring
3. Honey
4. Afterglow
5. Drive On
6. Breakfast
7. Ordinary Girl
8. Wrong Side
9. Let It Out
10. Fool Moon
11. Anteros
Listen to When We Land on Spotify:
