Childhood - Universal High

The Guardian 80

(Marathon Artists)

Childhood’s 2014 debut album Lacuna bore the psych-indie-pop, Stone Roses-lite hallmarks of that moment, as shared by artists such as Peace, Swim Deep and Gengahr to name but a few. Fast forward three years and – similarly to Birmingham’s Superfood – the Brixton five-piece are less aligned with specific trends, and are instead playfully tapping into old-school pop and retro soul for a free and pleasingly experimental follow-up, recorded in Atlanta.

Californian Light – an ode to London, despite the name – boasts breezy beats and nostalgic falsetto of the non-boyband kind from frontman Ben Romans-Hopcraft, while Cameo taps into the euphoric, proggy side of psychedelia that their debut largely eschewed in favour of the introspective side. Elsewhere, Melody Says is unchallenging in terms of its Euro indie-pop form, but its Franglais (“Melody said she’s right / Melody avait raison”, with the occasional “C’est comme ça” poking through) makes it effortlessly chic in a Breton-top-and-skinny-jeans sort of way. Likewise, the piano-led title track is sparkly but paredso far back you feel as though you’re there in the studio. While there’s still room to push it further, Childhood are clearly coming of age.