Saltwater Sun - "Wild" EP

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Saltwater Sun have had a little bit of buzz blowing behind their sails. The London-based, indie-pop-rock quintet saw their debut single, the scintillating “Habit On My mind”, climb the Hype M charts with 39 sites and blogs, including us, posting it. With the song being a blend of the infectious sound of fellow indie acts Alvvays and Bully, it’s no wonder Saltwater Sun’s popularity is growing.

The band has since released one other song and now an EP, Wild. The album only consists of three songs, including “Habit On My Mind”. The cool, sultry “Making Eyes” follows. The song is carried by frontwoman Jennifer Stearnes’ voice, who takes the song to emotional heights, and a fantastic rhythm section, particularly the terrific bass line. The title track, “Wild”, completes the mini-EP. It’s a stuttering pop tune that has dashes of ’80s pop and a catchy guitar hook.

As a whole, the EP is an enjoyable listen, representing the transition between the gleeful pop of the ’80s and the grittier, power-pop of the early ’90s. There is, however, one disappointing aspect of the album – it’s too short. With only one new single, it leads one to question whether an EP was necessary or if a releasing a third single would have been a better strategy. Understanding the band is building on the momentum from the first two singles, an EP of five or six songs that showed greater versatility in the band’s sound would have been more rewarding. Hopefully when the calendar turns, Saltwater Sun will have some more new music to share. This is a band that has the chance to really explode in 2016 if they time everything just right.

Wild is out now via Hand in Hive. Purchase it at iTunes (UK | US | CA) and Amazon (UK | US).

Saltwater Sun are Jennifer Stearnes, Dan Kingham, Joel Neale, Benny Chandler and Robert Carter.

Facebook – Saltwater Sun
Twitter – @saltwater_sun
Instagram – @saltwater_sun

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