One of the undeniable joys of an obsession with music is the first listen to a new gem by one of your favorite bands. It is fresh but familiar, exciting and every note confirms your wisdom in taste in choosing them as a favorite. But perhaps an even better feeling is your first exposure to a band which, while previously unknown to you, immediately becomes an inseparable musical companion. Such is my feeling about my new musical friends, Northern Portrait. The Copenhagen, Denmark, trio of Michael Sorensen, Stefan Larsen, and Rune Reholt play a jangly, hyper-melodic indie pop with soulful vocals that will remind the knowing listener of The Housemartins. And the knowing listener knows that vocal similarity with The Housemartins is a very, very good thing.
The occasion for meeting Northern Portrait is Pretty Decent Swimmers, a four-track EP available digitally and in 10" vinyl from Matinee Recordings. In my opinion, all four tracks are instant pop classics, and are perfect for lightening your mood during the cold, dreary winter. But you don't need to take my word for it, take a quarter of an hour and listen below.
Northern Portrait's previous work includes a couple of EPs, an LP, and a 7". I regret that they weren't on my radar in the past, but I don't intend to let them out of my sights.
Matinee Recordings
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