ALBUM REVIEW: Superfood - 'Don't Say That'

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So, Brummy psych-indiesters have a new album out? We liked it so much, we went and reviewed it twice! Below are Ella and Becky’s rave reviews of ‘Don’t Say That’… Let us know what you think at @Gigslutz_

Ella Scott – @ell44h :

With the name supposedly coined by Swim Deep’s Cavan McCarthy and Peace’s Harrison Koisser, ‘B-Town’ is held responsible for the mammoth indie takeover of 2013. Making up the third element of the highly-anticipated hat-trick of albums released from B-Town in 2014, (the first being The Twang’s N E O N T W A N G followed by Jaws’ Be Slowly) is Superfood’s debut record. If ‘music is food for the soul’, then Don’t Say That shall leave it quenched for an eternity.

Serving as the mouth-watering starter for Superfood’s debut is the obscure ‘Lily For Your Pad To Rest On’. Immediately proving why the band are worth the hype, the opening track features an infectious rhythm and a churning chorus, where the quartet boast they’ve “got something to eat”… A statement students across the length and breadth of the UK may not be able to comply with.

Following tracks ‘You Can Believe’ and the pre-loved ‘Superfood’ – released in the height of the B-Town craze circa 2013 – crank up the lethargic ’90s atmosphere residing within Don’t Say That. Emitting the same nostalgic ’90s vibe is ‘Pallasades’ with its jangly guitars and ‘TV’, taken from the celebrated MAM EP. Marked with an elongated vocal and messy guitar riffs, ‘TV’ is one of Don’t Say That‘s richest offerings.

Both the short, but lusciously sweet, instrumental tracks, ‘I’ and ‘II’, act as perfect album breathers and spice up the record with an element of improvisation. With the latter being sandwiched between title track ‘Don’t Say That’ and the previously championed ‘Melting’, the twenty-one second break of ‘II’ is a slice of Superfood kookiness; the reason the UK has fallen head-over-heels in love with this Brummie quartet.

Penultimate track ‘Right On Satellite’ provides an edgy, euphoric twist to the already fantastic album. Showcasing Superfood’s lead singer, Dom Ganderton’s, paramount vocal performance, ‘Right On Satellite’ could potentially be the ultimate crowning moment of Don’t Say That. With one last push, thirteenth track and album closer, ‘Like A Daisy’, seals the deal and makes it official: Don’t Say that by Superfood is a grasp away from pure perfection.

Becky Rogers – @beckyrogers29

Think Superfood and you think ’90s. They’ve decorated their website with 8-bit games and a BBC Ceefax homepage, which fits perfectly with their sound. Their early releases were very formulated and instantly recognisable, thanks to the ‘Superfood sound’ but as more and more became known about the once mystery four piece, everything developed into a sometimes gritty, sometimes colourful and still ’90s Britpop recipe. With the release of their debut album Don’t Say That, the Birmingham band have finally decided on how they want to be heard and – good thing for us – it’s the best decision they could’ve made.

The standard Superfood falsetto harmonies, repetitive lyrics and stylish accompaniment take no time at all to get into action. Don’t Say That goes further than the ’90s label they’ve been persistently brandished with: ‘Lily For Your Pad To Rest On’ takes their faultless formula and adds a hint of ’60s colour to the mixture, spicing up the Britpop everyone expected. The short pop-flavoured riffs get going again in ‘You Can Believe’; the impossible to forget chorus cries of frontman Dom Ganderton complement the overdriven guitars and steady going drums perfectly. The halt of gusto doesn’t even stop the revelry, but instead fills you with anticipation for the typical Superfood ending melodies.

Superfood’s ‘Superfood’ was their first release after months of secrecy surrounding them, but the rerecording of the anthemic song has made it even more pleasing to the ears. Emily Baker’s bouncing bass lines push the track along until the thrashing of guitars begin, signalling you to be enticed with the cries of “Superfooood” making you even more hungry for the rest of the record to follow. Another one of their early releases ‘TV’ follows with the same grittiness as its predecessors.

Maybe ‘Pallasades’ is an ode to Birmingham’s infamous shopping centre. Slowed down with infatuation, the Brum quartet have taken a calmer approach still with the same twiddles of strings and harmonies. The most recent single ‘Mood Bomb’ is filled with ethereal vocals backed by melancholic riffs, bass lines and drum beats. The removal of the spangled and glitzy riffs is Superfood showing they’re more than what we expect; their new found grittiness still fits in with their ’90s 8-bit appearance but with a hardened edge.

After the short sweet sounding interlude of ‘I’, ‘It’s Good To See You’ looks back to an early noughties boy band whose focus is complementing harmonies but in a totally good way – there’s no 5ive in this. Before another 20 second interlude, title track ‘Don’t Say That’ maintains an unnerving impression that isn’t resolved by the slowed-down guitars and falsetto vocals. Soon enough, everything is returned back to the familiar with ‘Melting’, which exposes chirpy melodies combined with upbeat drums. Brightness and vibrancy take the lead with the high energy enticing you to get up and bounce along.

Closing track ‘Like A Daisy’ slows the tempo down, ending on a more contemplative note than the majority of the record. The strong-willed guitars, powered on by dramatic bass lines and drum beats, are slightly comparable to rock ballads expected from the ’70s but with a modern twist.

It’s weird to think Superfood were once unknown playing gigs around the Midlands reeling in support with nothing released or online. However, now with an album under their belt, it’s time for the Superfood hype to never end.

Superfood’s debut album, Don’t Say That, is available for purchase on Monday 3rd November. However, an official stream of the fantastic debut album is available on NME.com now.