Us and Us Only – Bored of Black

When the weather is as absolutely scorching as it has been lately on England’s usually cloudy shores it’s pretty easy to give up on wearing black – basically to wear it would just leave you sweating more than Lee Evans after two straight hours of stand-up (Topical reference: Check). But then if you’re in the hands of Us and Us Only you’ll probably be just as willing to agree with them as I am as their immaculate soundscapes could transform even the gloomiest of days into a chilled out, blissful afternoon.

With a dose of indie powerful enough to get a shire horse styling their hair as if it were Johnny Borrell circa 2005, the balance between being an emotional, tender track and having a nice bit of juicy flavour to it is struck finer than a cueball by Peter Ebdon. The wee guitar riff that echoes throughout in your left ear is bound to get stuck there for a few weeks like a far friendlier version of some unwelcome pool water. Vocals are calm and composed, telling stories rather than shouting tiresome opinions at you and the whole vibe of the track is just so calming you’d be forgiven for following a listen with a short nap.

For sunny days there’s the outside world filled with BBQs, mini golf and sitting in pub gardens. For everything else, there’s Us and Us Only.

Ciarán Steward