Recently, I had a greatly enjoyable time visiting Gathering, a brilliant one day festival in Oxford. It really was splendid. I saw several acts for the first time. Three of these, Karima Francis, Luke Sital-Singh and The Staves, have become instant favourites of mine. All of them have great recent releases which I am still enjoying devouring. I would heartily recommend you check them all out.
BUT, one of the biggest surprises of the day for me were Glass Animals. I'll be honest, by the time their set began, I had pretty much had enough. A one-day festival can lead you into a kind of musical overload after a while, and their set wasn't helped by the venue they found themselves in (basically a rather crusty community centre). However, even with my relative lack of attention, it was pretty obvious that something special was going on here. The indie-leaning synths, and strongly bass-driven grooves of the songs offered the tantalising sense that something special was going on here.
Pleasingly, the "Leaflings" EP" provides substance and clarity to these thoughts. Every song here is basically great. Cocoa Hooves (Parts 1 and 2) are both sumptuous, glacial grooves, bursting with melody and vibe. Golden Antlers takes its time, with flecks and flourishes aplenty. Closing with the equally impressive Dust In Your Pocket, probably the highlight of the EP, this is a great new discovery. A good example of why you shouldn't judge a band on first hearing, this is one of my favourite Eps of 2012. Check it out.
Enjoy the video for Cocoa Hooves below and hear the potential greatness for yourself.
