aaamusic | On 31, Jan 2011

Self-proclaimed ‘indie-soul’ band To The Chase, have greeted us with their debut single When You Believed.

If you buy into the official blurb of the band and expect an entirely new sound to emerge from a unique hybrid of ‘indie-soul’ then I’m afraid that you will undoubtedly be disappointed with a release that is, to be honest, another bout of your generic mild-mannered indie. However, what the release lacks in originality it makes up for in charm: there is something generally clumsy about the sound that ironically works in the bands favour; it is unassuming, upbeat and on the whole pleasant.

When You Believed is driven by light jingly guitar riffs and modest vocals that move the song forward in an amiable manner that is neither particularly exciting nor offensive. The B-Side The Return comes closer to purveying the ‘indie-soul’ that the band are aiming for, yet it still falls short of the mark. Although the tune will cause you to prick your ears and bop your head, the moment will almost definitely pass as soon as the record does.

To The Chase have taken a predictable approach to the format of this release and as such have produced a fairly banal sound that will fail to excite you. However, in all fairness to the band, whilst the release fails to set them apart, it does prove that they have a grasp on melodic indie pop tropes which they can build on and develop for future releases.

Author: Alice Cuddy