Joy Atlas follow up their debut single Dismount with the rather fine Notice It All. It’s a more than worthwhile successor, marrying the vocals of Becky Owen with a sound that mixes American R&B (complete with gloss), the kookiness of Bjork, glitchy electronica and prime indie-pop to produce a song that reminds you that pop music doesn’t have to be inferior to rock.
And what’s also impressive is that the song doesn’t hang about. You might be forgiven for assuming that with all these ideas within, the single would have to give itself a fair period of time to come to the boil. It doesn’t – it clocks in at less than two and a half minutes. Like Young Marble Giants‘ ‘Final Day’ or Primal Scream‘s ‘Velocity Girl’ before it, it shows that a great pop song does not have to aim for the three to three and a half minutes so beloved of radio programmers. And if it leaves you wanting more, re-re-rewind…
