Brilliant Colors – Introducing
One day the US will learn to spell correctly, but whilst they’re learning they are getting rather good at knocking out fuzzed-up and noised-out indie-pop like this. Just like the more celebrated Vivian Girls, San Francisco’s Brilliant Colors are a lo-fi, all-girl affair with punkish flecks and just like the Vivian Girls’ Everything Goes Wrong and eponymous debut, Brilliant Colors seem to know a thing or two about the jangling C86 revival. In truth, they’ve probably missed its peak, but there is no harm is trying.
Guitarist and vocalist Jess Scott buzzes along enthusiastically, her heart firmly in Veronica Falls-type indie-pop and her head in Shop Assistants-type nostalgia. Echo-y backing “oohs” and “ahs” sweeten Introducing to taste and “Absolutely Anything” is note-for-note and yearningly familiar. “Mythic” demonstrates with its cutesy yelps and garage-y hooks why there is such current interest in The Plasticines, aside from their being French and eyebrow-raisingly leggy.
Clocking in at 24 minutes in total, Introducing can’t fail to outstay its welcome and doesn’t with nonchalance. The problem though in sounding effortless is the fine line between it and the plain lazy. Whilst comfortably on the right side of the line, the ubiquitous feedback and fuzz of Introducing nevertheless seems to lack sufficient bite to convince many beyond the already converted.