Icicles

The pink bubble-wrap in which this tasty morsel arrived really said it all about the sonic aesthetic to be found inside: fun-lovin', "kid at heart" melodies coated in gooey, sticky, yummy bubble-gum pop of the best kind. The wide-eyed sincerity and un-ironic innocence with which these six tidbits are approached will chip away at the most stone-cold jaded, yet this quartet of Michigan natives are no suckers for solely the surface level cutesy-wutesy; there's some seriously professional and experienced songwriting going on here. Among this grab bag of treats are the hooks that are so damn sharp that they instantaneously latch on and send you reeling on a glucose rush into the Icicles' Willy Wonka-tinged pastel world. A world where the only cares you'll have are how much sugar to put in the lemonade, what colour of the rainbow to dye your hair and how to please your skater boyfriend (hey, the best bubble-gum has always been interlaced with sexual innuendo). Appease your addictive sweet tooth, allow the Icicles to melt the icicles still hanging on your tree house, accept the dare to go frolic and you'll find this season's soundtrack for both cuddling bunnies and making spring fever nookie like bunnies.