LEND THEM YOUR EARS - 16/05/2011 - THEY'RE HEADING WEST

Hello! In that age old blogger's tradition I haven't posted for several weeks, and for no particular reason. I've been busy - working, feeling an almost violent apathy towards the royal wedding and getting a haircut. But enough about me, here's They're Heading West.

This is why indie kids make awful police sketch artists.

I first discovered Portuguese band They're Heading West through the April edition of the Music Alliance Pact's free downloads. If you're unaware of the MAP it's a collection of 36 blogs from around the world, each from a different country. Every month each blog recommends one track by a band from their homeland and all 36 tracks get put together as a download giving you a brief snapshot of what's happening around the musical world. Find Aprill's selection here - http://thepopcop.co.uk/2011/04/music-alliance-pact-april-2011/ .

Anyway, They're Heading West's song My Case Is A Different One was recommended by the good people at Posso Ouvir Um Disco. Well, I imagine they're good people, I can't actually understand anything they write, given that it's all in Portuguese. But they can't be that bad as they like the chilled, multi-vocal sounds of THW. The quartet consists of three singer-songwriters and a drummer and with each singer-songwriter contributing individual songs the band's repertoire is nicely varied. Some songs feature delicate ukulele strains, others nod towards a more relaxed version of Blur's 13 era, whilst still others sound like Laura Marling slightly channelling the Mummers.

 my case is a different one by theyreheadingwest 

Although the band only formed earlier this year, and the members all appear to have slightly different musical outlooks, they already seem to be working well and it's not hard to believe that they "all enjoy playing each other's music immensely", as their Myspace states. All in all, despite the various inputs and variations THW make a wonderfully relaxing, bouncy sound that is perfect for summer listening, for tapping flip-flop encased feet in sunny parks and for listening weights from shoulders. 

You can download their self-titled 6 track EP for $5 (about £3) from www.theyreheadingwest.bandcamp.com and, if you happen to be in Lisbon, you can catch them at Bar A Barraca on May 31st. More information can be found at www.myspace.com/theyreheadingwest