Thinking about tracks like the Scissor Sister’s I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’, Foster the People’s Pumped Up Kicks and the Friendly Fires’ Hawwiian Air you can’t help but feel that some of that infectiously feel-good dance pop pulse slowly has drifted from the periphery of contemporary music. Whatever People Say That I Am, I’m Not, The Streets, The Strokes and Lily Allen’s Alright Still; a decade on from 2006 it’s hard not to start feeling a little nostalgic for the 2000’s.
If home is where the heart is, then Tim Derricourt has made his abode the nostalgic and boppy realm of immaculate pop music on his sophomore EP High Summer.
Despite bearing the influence of everything from the eclectic dance vibrations of the Avalanches to the glittery pop-savvy of Bowie there’s something decidedly noughties about Swimerwear’s latest EP High Summer. That’s not to do the artist discredit. 10 years on maybe the writer is just hungry for anything throwing back to that increasingly distant decade. Sure, we might still be putting the fluorescent horror of new rave and that annoying OK Go film clip behind us, but it’s hard to deny that growing twang of nostalgia.
The side project of Sydney mainstays Dappled Cities’ Tim Derricourt, Swimwear melds laid back pop with driving disco rhythms to create infectiously upbeat tracks. For his latest project Derricourt has called upon his broad a bevy of friends, recruiting Thief, Andy Bull, Deep Sea Arcade‘s Nick Weaver, Tales in Space’s Luke Bertoz and Dappled Cities bandmate Ned Cooke.
Putting the formidable collection of musical talent to good use, Derricourt decorates his immaculate pop arrangements with irresistible dance rhythms and sugary indie hooks. The end result is some seriously summery tracks.
Those familiar with the dance rock rhythm of tracks like I Don’t Fell Like Dancin’ by the Scissor Sisters will immediately feel at home with opener Heartbroken. Underscored with an irresistible pulse, the anthemic track’s slacker lyrics celebrate rather than languish in the protagonist’s sorry state of affairs. The bittersweet Great Leap Forward follows on demonstrating that when it comes to indie pop Swimwear’s knack for jingley songcraft proves second to none.
Third track Closer delivers urgent 80s synth pop riffs in spades, before Take Me on the Road appeases with a seductive disco-meets-Talking Heads shuffle. Bronze Head draws things to a close with synth infused dub rhythms and climatic fretwork.
Derricourt’s endearing second EP brings a timeless polish to the infectiously upbeat decade which came before.
We also tested Tim and his Dappled Cities bandmate Dave Rennick on how well they knew their songs, and things didn’t go so well. You can check out the hilarious interview here.
