Big Deal

Let's get the obvious wordplay out of the way right: Big Deal live up to their moniker. Far too many reviews of their 2011 debut were fixated on the fact that there was a large age difference between Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe (11 years) or that they chose to use only guitars and no pesky drums. However, rather than being just a gimmick band, they had a great sound and some great songs to go with it. June Gloom is a different beast altogether. They've beefed-up their sound on most tracks, adding another guitar and drums, pulling them into even fuzzier territory, and it's a definite step in the right direction. Songs like "Golden Light" and "Dream Machines" shimmer and shine, while there are nods towards their debut via quieter moments like "Pillow" and "Close You Eyes," at least until it explodes at the end. Add some lovely boy-girl vocals and this is a wonderful collection of ear candy that proves there was never any need for gimmicks at all.