With numerous festival appearances, support slots for the likes of The View and Simple Minds, and the release of their debut EP Dirty Lunch, 2014 was quite the year for Inverness indie rockers Searching For Donkeys.
The EP itself opens with ‘Festival Tune’, an upbeat toe-tapper giving a first taste of the positively buoyant sound that seems sure to become the band’s trademark, a sound that cannot help but draw parallels with some of Britpop’s more recognisably sunny acts, such as Space or Supergrass, while still boasting a unique modernity and relevance.
‘Kitty’s Favour’ is a slightly rockier and grittier track, yet it still retains that upbeat atmosphere, creating an urge to nod along that only the most determined listener would be able to fend off.
For third track ‘Golden’, it is hard not to return to comparisons with some of the more impressive indie acts of the 90s, with the track at times inciting fond memories of Blur at their humorously gifted best.
‘Bum Bum Bum’, the EP’s final track, manages to successfully pull together all the finer points of the previous three, resulting in a busy, exciting tune full of enthusiasm and energy, a song that is more than a suggestion this is not just a band worth listening to, but perhaps a band worth seeking out live as well.
Searching For Donkeys boast a classic indie feel that seems to have plucked some of the better aspects of Britpop, blended these with a uniqueness that is entirely the band’s own and unleashed it all in an optimistic, cannot-fight-tapping-along-even-if-you-wanted-to package – the truth is, there is something undeniably addictive about this band’s sound and if this debut EP is to be the first hit, let the habit commence.
Words: Jason Henderson
