Despite Ears Like Golden Bats being their third album, Brooklyns My Teenage Stride have managed to continually fly under the radar. Thats pretty hard to understand because their retro indie pop jangle is immediate, infectious and really rather good, much like Silver Scooter did a few years ago, and theres always a place for something like this. Half the fun comes from spotting all the points of reference on each song because they arent the subtlest band in the world. But with a list that includes New Order, the Wedding Present, the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Smiths and the Go-Betweens, theyve at least managed to pick out decent people to try and emulate. It also helps that they stop short of simply mimicking any of those bands; they just take little bits and pieces in the same way that Guided By Voices did and record songs that have enough familiar moments to make them instantly attractive. It is as if someone else already did all the hard work and My Teenage Stride are there to take credit for it all. But in a good way. Ears Like Golden Bats is a great little album that will catch most people completely by surprise. My Teenage Stride might not be reinventing the wheel but they are making it run very smoothly indeed.
(Becalmed)My Teenage Stride
Ears Like Golden Bats
BY Michael EdwardsPublished Feb 28, 2007