aaamusic | On 25, Mar 2012

Photograph is the new single by Union Starr, after Roger Wells and Jason Applin got together nearly 11 years ago to write their album, Falling Apart Together, and then fell out and didn’t speak for years. Being that Photograph is a decade old now, it’s quite possible that it should sound rather dated by now. Thankfully, it still holds its own: catchy and melodic, if slightly retro-sounding. It sounds at once up-to-date and vintage, but that is what makes it so charming.

‘Here’s to credibility, somehow it avoided me – city famous, then back for tea. Here’s to mediocrity, somehow it punished me. But I don’t care… I’ve got a photograph and it proves that we were there. Me and my photograph go everywhere.’

There is something wonderfully endearing in the lyrics and strumming guitar of the song that makes it so likeable and relatable. Some of the best indie-pop you’ll hear this spring.

The B-side, ‘the Swimmer’, is an invented soundtrack to the 1968 Burt Lancaster film with the same name. It has a different feel to Photograph, more spacey and dreamy. It certainly has a 60’s feel to it, both in the vocals and the music. It’s a lovely companion to the main track.

If you’re a fan of slightly retro, endearing and in places spacey indie-pop then you will doubtlessly adore this. Also, if you happen to be a fan of the Sunday’s, Union Starr features Patrick Hannan on drums.

 

Rose Benge