Team Picture - Recital

Rating:

A concise introduction to the Team Picture experience.

The debut album (mini-album, that is) from Leeds collective Team Picture is like a box of sweets, brimming with variety and addictively flavoursome end to end. Following a string of releases including the slow-burning (and excellently titled) single ‘Potpurri Headache’, ‘Recital’ is a concise introduction to the Team Picture experience, in all its obscure variety, and places them firmly in the spotlight as one to keep a close eye on in months to come.

The album breaks down into two halves, each showcasing a different aspect of the group’s eclectic sound. '(I Have A) Little Secret' launches Side A. Woozy and electronic, it echoes the jaunty, psychedelic twinkles of bands like The Orielles, but at its core swirls a cloud of heavier, chunkier synthesizers. Faster and more immediate, 'Strange Year' is a downright belter that melds prickly, MGMT-esque synths with a tangy, hook-laden chorus.

Side B is where Team Picture really cut loose, no more so than on '(I Want Your) Life Hack'. It’s the real gem in their arsenal, thunderous, crashing, and demanding attention. “Show me what you’re made of!” snarls guitarist and one of three singers, Josh, in a way that’s instantly memorable.