In a world of urgency, music that has been brewed over time has the power to stop you in your tracks.
After spending the last year and a half honing their sound and gigging across the country, the Edinburgh four-piece’s third single comes with more than just promise. Fully formed with Fender’s firing on all cylinders, ‘Gezellig’ is the cherry on top of the charming catchiness of their first two releases.
Straight to business with from the very first chord, lead singer Raff Eragona’s velvet voice sits seamlessly with the band’s upbeat indie. Continually complementing each other, ’Gezellig’ is the perfect blend of highs and lows.
Chris Finn’s solos never linger longer than is needed whilst drummer Jordan Harvey’s backing is driving but never overbearing. The song’s peak comes in a few fleeting seconds of calm mid-way through, when Eragona’s voice rises above this temporary lull to assert the chorus of “Darling I was a sorry state when you found me/You shook me up and you spun me round/I will always remember that”. Perfectly in control before launching back into their freewheeling riffs – it builds not only momentum but anticipation for more.
Alas, but in just over three minutes The OK Social Club manage to throw out the kind of aerodynamic, adrenalin-fuelled sunshine rock that most bands flounder about on a whole album trying to achieve. Crucially ‘Gezellig’ has an all-important intangibility about it – combining Beach Boys vocals with Dave Davies guitars to create something completely alluring.
With debut album Nothing in Common out early next year and a prestigious spot at this year’s Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations, The OK Social Club are doing more than just alright.
