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(SXSW 2014 flavoured!) Bands to Watch #288: Casual Sex

Inevitable comparisons to the last indie kings of Scotland, Franz Ferdinand, will dog Glaswegian band Casual Sex in their early days. Songs ‘What’s Your Daughter For’ and ‘Stroh 80’ are faux-indie, surf-pop machinations in the Ferdinand mould, but understandably Sam Smith (not to be confused with the new BBC Sound of… darling) tries to avoid comparisons with his elder contemporary Alex Kapranos.

For a band which describes their genre as sleaze, it’s unsurprising ‘Stroh 80’ (stream at the bottom of this post) is a ditty about nobbing your best friend’s bird when you’re absolutely changed off your tits. They do their best to revert to type throughout their back catalogue, with another song ‘The Bastard Beat’ towing very much the ‘casual sex party line’ – I suppose that’s all you can expect from a band who have named themselves Casual Sex.

Anybody looking for quintessential British indie boys will be pretty delighted by what this four-piece have to offer, as Casual Sex appear to be an indie offering cultivated from a mix of what’s doing the rounds at the moment, a la Franz Ferdinand, Royal Blood, The 1975 and Night Engine. There’s a broody, almost sullen vocalist in Smith, backed by Edward Wood providing the dreampop guitar elements, Peter Masson on bass and Chris McCrory tapping away on drums. Mixed in with some pre-1970s goodness for proper measure, they’re a taste of all things British in four-good looking blokes. Marketable and sure to be gobbled right up by the A&Rs at SXSW.