Crossing The Pond: Race Horses

Look up "catchy" in the dictionary, and you'll quite possibly come across a photo of wily Welsh scamps Race Horses. I have only just made their acquaintance, but already I can tell that this is a band that appreciates the finer points of pop music, namely, making songs that are, above all, catchy.

Witness, now, the infectious charms of their song "Mates." The song ties together glammed-up sass (think T. Rex and Roxy Music, or the majority of the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack) with Elvis Costello meets Dexy's Midnight Runners vocals and a hearty dose of carefree 80s synth pop good times. The result is undeniably good and, wait for it, catchy as hell. It's the kind of song that'll inspire frequent bursts of maniacal dancing, and not only on the dancefloor. "Mates" exemplifies what a proper pop song ought to be, without getting bogged down in an overproduced morass of tripe. Oh, and did I mention it's catchy? O Race Horses, how I love you! 

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to listening to this song for the umpteenth time.