Sacred Paws - 6 SONGS EP [12" VINYL]

This EP made me sad... Glum... Disappointed... Maybe even morose or beset with ennui...

Because it finished way too soon.

This is my first shot of Sacred Paws and I am instantly adding them to the shuffling playlist that plays constantly wherever I am. My time on earth is measured, not by your humonz clocks, but by a mobius strip of tunes, endlessly looping, each rotation bringing a new age. Sacred Paws have added a few inches of pure gold to that strip and I'm hoping that will edge me closer to eternal youth, or at least tide me through real life with the pleasure they bring.

These songs seem to whip by, not because they are short - nor even because I am aging, you cheeky whippersnapper - but because, like the perfect sponge cake that my ancient guts can just about handle, they are light as a feather and sweet as honey, and any other clichés regarding lightness and sweetness.

Now, usually, light and sweet is not really my jam (except in the middle of a Victoria sponge, natcha doii) but don't let my baked goods references fool you; Sacred Paws are no floating cloud, vapid heart dragonettes of pink, flower-unfolding girl band. They may whip you away to a perfectly harmonised, gentle nirvana on earth but it's not a wishful dream of all things sugar and spice; it's the Californian earthly heaven - blue skies and golden tans and perfect surf, but coiling round the messiness of the everyday, not obliterating or ignoring it.

If you want something that is riot grrrl mingled with The Beach Boys and a dash of a punk Enya, then you need Sacred Paws in your life. Their pretty tunes are underpinned by the gloriously questioning lyrics of cynical youth. Imagine Daria on ecstasy and you probably come close. 

I didn't even know that this was what I wanted until I heard it. Now I can't imagine how I lived without them, though that's probably related to how achingly young and beautiful they are and how many, many years I was in the world before they existed. Either way, I'm glad they're here and glad that I have got to experience their garage polyphony. 

Sacred Paws have overcome obstacles to bring us this music, not least being a long-distance band, half in London, half in Glasgow. The fact that London is one of the most depressing places I've ever lived and Glasgow one if the cloudiest places I've ever been makes it even more impressive that they have created a perfect example of sunny music. Their songs are a euphoric beach celebration underpinned by the understandable bitterness of having to deal with reality and horribly flawed people who, perhaps, fail to see how cool they are.

Sacred Paws perfectly tread the line between overkill and underwhelm. Their sound is beautiful and artful without being overproduced or losing energy in meaningless 'professional' norms. Their voices overlap like birdsong, tweeting different perspectives and examples like a drunken 3am conversation you will later realise was genuinely 'deep' and binds you as friends forever more. 

They are your coolest mates dunked in nectar, floating in the clouds. This isn't some tripped-out hippie band; it's raw and messy, but the kind of chaos that, when you step back and see the whole thing, or relax and listen, is woven into a sumptuous tapestry. It's like watching the winking of individual stars and then pulling back and seeing the spiral galaxy. 

Baby, they're a full on Monet. Every brushstroke is brash and bold and awesome, and the finished song is a delicate symphony, viewing life through an artist's eye.

Sacred Paws are timeless and, if there's any justice, destined for greatness. I can't wait to hear more of them. I can't wait for their era.