To an uninitiated country bumpkin like myself, The Lunchtime Sardine Club might suggest the midday pursuits of a racketeering band of gentlemanly penguin spivs. Instead, this most excellent of monikers represents the solo work of the seemingly willfully undercover Oliver Newton, drummer with long-established expansive post rockers Yndi Halda.

Slightly unexpectedly then, “Rumours” is a summery if introspective slice of not-too-oblique electric storytelling, punctuated with a vocal whose inflections and harmonies lilt like a slightly more lo-fi Field Music; proper crafted songwriting with a deadpan delivery, drifting along sweetly in 6/8 time.

Apparently there is an release in the oven, “Icescapades” to follow in the the meteorologically incorrect month of August on the Sonic Anhedonic Recording Company – on proper black stuff too – hopefully this transpires not to be a red herring! Some dodgy fish-based punnage right there, over and out.

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Mike Phillips