Tom Gallo is the host of Look At My Records! on Radio Free Brooklyn.
If you’re looking to soundtrack the waning days of the summer, Brooklyn’s UV Rays have three new songs that are essential heat wave listening.
The band, which formed after a one-off jam session back in 2015, has been garnering positive attention over the last few years for their irresistible catchy brand of sparkling indie-pop.
Earlier this year, the band shared their ambitious debut EP, Try And Begin, which accentuated their penchant for angular and energetic experimental pop, earning them comparisons to Deerhoof. The Brooklyn-based quartet is wasting no time delivering their sophomore release, as their next EP, The Right Stuff, drops on Friday.
On their second release of 2019, the band enlisted the engineering services of Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez of the veteran New York indie group Ava Luna. The resulting end product builds off of the unbridled energy of Try And Begin with three refined and polished tracks that highlight the quartet’s more traditional pop sensibilities.
UV Rays’ greatest strengths are the sum of their parts, as the band employs a collective approach to songwriting that allows each member to step into the spotlight. With no set front person, each song on The Right Stuff features a different vocalist, giving each song its own unique voice, both literally and figuratively.
The first track and lead single, “Overrated,” is led by drummer Erica Warner and successfully unites some dazzling harmonies and crunchy guitar riffs with a gigantic chorus. Guitarist Adrien Defontaine comes to the forefront on the middle track, “Girlfriend,” with a sparkling melody and beaming vocals that inject an anxious electricity into the air. The EP’s final track “Faster Now,” written and sung by bassist Tim Marchetta-Wood, highlights some of the band’s darker undertones while still delivering some bright, hook-filled melodies.
Overall, UV Rays earn high marks for their modern take on power-pop that exists somewhere between the classic power-pop of The Rubinoos and the subtley dark indie-pop of Charley Bliss.
The Right Stuff is available on all streaming platforms tomorrow. You can stream the already released singles, “Overrated” and “Faster Now” below. You can also purchase the group’s entire discography via Bandcamp.
UV Rays are performing at Pianos on Aug. 17 as part of the Soundtown NYC Festival.
All images courtesy of UV Rays.
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