Oxfordbands.com has recently been at the eye of one or two internet storms (good- we hate being ignored!), after Zoe Heriot’s review of the Next Big Thing Competition brought the house down, and a throwaway gag by the present writer in the context of an otherwise unremarkable gig review elicited howls of horror from the politically correct brigade. God help them if they ever accidentally clap eyes on a couple of paragraphs by Jeremy Clarkson or AA Gill: they’d probably swallow their own head in outrage.
I doubt that this article will cause anything like the same shemozzle, for the simple reason that it will be overwhelmingly approving. Sarah Kelleher’s Misfit Mod project is a little gem, producing eerily sensual minimalist electronica which is accessible but never obvious.
The opening ‘Queen Love Zero’ is an outstanding example of Kelleher’s artistry. Based on a four chord synthesizer vamp, slaved to an unfussy drum-machine figure, the track is made by Kelleher’s multi-tracked vocals, a mixture of Baby Doll gurgle, schoolyard chant, and absurdly gorgeous harmony. The model is clearly Bjork, but Kelleher sings like a recognisable human being rather than a malfunctioning cuckoo clock.
The EP proceeds with ‘Cars II’, another hynoptically simple, yet unsettling melody: if I were on the NME staff I’d need to invent a new genre on the spot to describe it: ‘Stoned skipping song’ perhaps. The style is ultra-minimalism- just a couple of vocal lines and a drum machine. More pleasing to pop-pickers will be the excellent ‘Pool House’ which reinstates the ancient eighties synths and has a recognisable song structure- it even has a chorus of sorts, which is irresistibly pretty. ‘Wolves/Valleys’ is slightly lusher, using warm string pads to conjure a summery languor, with Kelleher modulating her tone a little, now sounding a little like a young Beth Orton.
It will be interesting to see whether Misfit Mod can help form the vanguard of a little sub-scene of female-fronted electronic pop- there’s some talent in this area kicking around the county at the moment (Camille Baziadoly’s ‘Dear City’ is another outstanding example), and Kelleher’s odd, slightly esoteric art is the sort of thing this city often takes to its heart. Hopefully that’s something on which we can all agree.