Brody Ramone: Live Your Life. Live Indie.

There are times you hear a band for the first time and you instantly connect. Within a few bars into a song you just know that you are going to be a fan for life. An example of this for me was the first time I ever hear the song "Gloria" off of U2's first album Boy. I just had to own the song and I bought the entire album the next day. Early U2's music presented listeners with an energy, passion, and a hunger that many bands from the era were lacking.

On first listen, the Manchester band Larkins projects a depth and charisma that is often lacking in the indie rock realm. Formed in 2012 by lead singer Josh Noble and former bassist Jamie Spencer at Loreto College, Larkins started out as jam sessions between friends. A few months later they added lead guitarist Dom Want. After a supposed one­time show for friends and family, it went so well they decided to keep going. After the occasional covers gig, it was apparent that the lack of consistency on drums needed to be addressed. In comes drummer Matt Williams to fill the void and the lineup for Larkins was complete. Burgeoning success, more gigging, and a growing fan base in Manchester continued throughout 2014. In the early months of 2015 though, bassist Jamie Spencer decided to continue his studies in London. Filling the void and bringing a whole new sound was Henry Beach just in time to help finish their debut EP at Sugar House Music. 

As of this time Larkins has four songs to peruse. Josh Noble's tenor comes off flirty and alluring on "Hit and Run", with smooth tempting lyrics. Dom Want's guitar work is stellar here both in melody and bouncy rhythm. On the bottom end, Beach's funky bass lines intermingle with William's machine­gun drum work and plies well together. It is apparent why "Hit and Run" caught BBC's XFM's attention. 

"Let Your Hair Down" is an urgent, driving, and soaring song which puts the whole bands individual skills on display. This amazing track is so lush and impelling. Noble's voice velvety and smooth, Want's guitar work is like a guitar solo throughout the whole melody of the song, turns on a dime and then what sounds like synth keys. Want is using some effect with individual finger picking transitioning back into a strong solo. And again, I cannot emphasize enough the bottom end holding the whole song together via Williams & Beach. This bass/drum battery is quite thrilling. Check out the video on Youtube of this song, it's quite impressive actually and very professionally done. 

"Tales of Cassandra" is a nice mix of jumpy indie rock with brush strokes of reggae, by far the poppiest and danceable song of the band's four releases. "Sapphire" is the love song, Noble's achingly poignant lyrics and delivery backed by his bandmates burning and heart rendering composition create a song that soars and moves the listener. 

Larkins, for such a young act, has single­handedly raised the bar and may have taken indie rock to a new level. With their exposure rising, fan base expanding, a few London gigs under their belts, and making inroads into the festival scene, it is apparent that Larkins are on the edge of a breakout. With lush melodies and lyrics, a fantastic voice up front, an expansive, funky, immensely solid bass/drum battery, and an amazingly talented and unique lead guitarist Larkins is a group that seems to have all the pieces for success.

Show them some love on their official site, Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud!