Team Waterpolo: “Letting Go”
Formed less than ten months ago, it took Team Waterpolo but six weeks to catch the ear of the UK music industry when they threw up a demo of “Letting Go” on their MySpace page. Since then, they’ve earned a spot on NME’s New Noise tour and an opening slot on Black Kids’ upcoming sold-out jaunt across the UK, not to mention extensive praise from industry heads and Radio 1 DJ’s alike, as well as Single of the Week honors from the NME for this here release on Moshi Moshi. To some it’s old news by now, but with the triumphant arrival of summer on these fair shores, “Letting Go” has taken on a new life as a warm weather anthem in waiting. Timeless summery pop at its finest, the track is all jangly guitars and synths as sprightly as the Roy Lichtenstein pop art the band has built their personal brand around. It’s true, Team Waterpolo owe a massive debt to Abba having blatantly aped the vocal melody to “Mama Mia” here, but if you can get your head around that (easier said than done, I know), you’re in for a treat.
MP3: “Letting Go” - Team Waterpolo
“Letting Go” is just one of many excellent cuts off of Moshi Moshi’s recently released singles compilation, which chronicles and celebrates two years of the Moshi Moshi Singles Club. Joining Team Waterpolo are the likes of Lykke Li, Kate Nash, Late of the Pier and Friendly Fires, all of whom have been championed in these pages (some more than others) in that time span. One of the finer, lesser-known tracks comes courtesy of Pacific!, who’ve remained remarkably uncelebrated in the UK despite the undeniable excellence of their debut album, Reveries. “Break Your Social System” was their contribution to the Moshi Moshi Singles Club last summer and is a solid cut of Hot Chip-goes-Beach Boys pop in its own right, but it’s “Sunset Boulevard” that’s the real show-stopper on the album, all ice cold synths, pristine harmonies and 80’s nostalgia. Owing serious debts of their own to pop stars of platinum records past, they’re a perfect fit next to Team Waterpolo on any summertime mix, and “Sunset Boulevard” is enough to brighten even the bleakest London afternoon.
MP3: “Sunset Boulevard” - Pacific!