Art-Pop outfit, Turnpike Glow, started out life as just Sandro Schiena and Giuseppe La Mela in Rome back in 2007, before gracing the streets of London with their Psych-Indie sounds, and joining with English musicians – Anthony, Jeremy and, most recently, Tom. Their debut EP, ‘Inflatable Optimism’, earned them praise from the likes of Lauren Laverne, KEXP and BBC Introducing, and support slots for bands such as The Futureheads and Cooper Temple Clause heralded increased attention and success. However, the new release – ‘Funke Pop’ (it seems the band are big fans of the show, ‘Arrested Development’) appears to welcome a more natural sound for the band; whilst psychedelic tinges remain, they are interspersed between effortlessly cool pop melodies and catchy tunes.

Produced by David Newfield (who has also worked with fellow Art-Pop group, Los Campesinos as well as Broken Social Scene), ‘Funke Pop’ provides us with four experimental and exuberant tracks filled with imagination and creativity. ‘Heels in Madrid’ and ‘Debussy’ are classic, catchy, trippy summer tunes, whilst the extremely Los Campesinos-esque ‘Her Flaming Lips’ pays homage to Wayne Coyne’s psychedelic outfit and references specific Flaming Lips song titles visually in the track’s fantastical video.

Frequently likened to Phoenix, Turnpike Glow appear to have succeeded in creating something on a par with the French alt-rock quartet. In a recent interview, Sandro Schiena stated that the new EP was intended to ‘trigger the audience’s attention’, and it undoubtedly has done; flitting flawlessly between catchy electro-pop and psychedelic experimentation, ‘Funke Pop’ is a vibrant and stimulating collection of tracks, and will certainly be featuring heavily on my summer playlist.

Mari Lane