Discorder

I almost busted a copy of the new Lollies single before I managed to slap it on the turntable. Being pressed on 180 gram vinyl, this record should have a warning label stating it ain't for the weak-limbed. Luckily, the music contained therein is fairly light organ-drenched pop, bringing to mind a pastiche of 60s psych and 90s quirky Brit-pop a la Heavenly or The Pastels.

Drowned In Sound

Hey, hey! It's The Lollies! Popularity constantly rising. Where there's riotous girlies or twee indie gatherings, The Lollies are usually not far. Weirdly enough, The Lollies don't sound like your average Grrrrrl band (strum. Distort. Feel the noise. "All men are bastards!") though. "Channel Heaven" is a sugarsweet popsong, inoffensive and cute, the b-side is a twee boy versus fragile girl kind of thing. It's got lots of "la la la"s in it, too. Awww.

The NME

No RipCord

Single Of The Month - The Lollies - "Channel Heaven"

Indie bands can be strange. In the last two years, they've told me that: a) we all will live, we all will die b) my daddy was an alcoholic and c) that it was all yellow. Then there's the Lollies, who come as something as a relief when they sing lines like "Hey there you don't care/my beautiful boy with the dirty hair" over a, no other word for it, gorgeous melody. Guaranteed to brighten up any number of afternoons sat in freezing cold flats, Channel Heaven is also worth tracking down for the b-side, Pearls, a duet with Chris T-T which features the brilliant Morrissey-ism "If only I'd been born beautiful instead of smart". And hey! It even comes on pink vinyl, so even if this isn't your bag buy it anyway. Then if the Lollies become big pop stars, you'll have a little something to cash in on. 9/10 Reviewed by Peter Mattinson

Original Sin

Coming in a beautiful designed cover + in red vinyl, this double-A-side is the neweset release by The Lollies + let's face it, they don't even need a cover or label, as the music says it all - it is simply damn sweet and kicks bottom... Describing themselbes as sugary girlypop, there is not that much to add to this... 'Channel heaven' in a laid-back style with a 'Hongkong garden'-like Glockenspiel melody that will be in your ears for ages, is simply an excellent poptune, that immediately finds one grooving along. 'Pearls' features a guest-appearance by Chris T-T, his vocal-duties work really well in this duett. The song itself has very prominent organ sounding keyboards and grooving basslines is again an strong poptune at its best! Highly recommended!

Tasty Zine

See elsewhere in this issue for all kinds of jolly lolly japes, but for now, this is a perfectly life affirming single, with Chris TT on vocals on b-side 'Pearl' for added value.

The Lollies make the sort of swirly, innocent pop that takes me back to the late 80s when this sort of thing was a regular thing and not sneered at like it is today. Thankfully we have partisans such as The Lollies to see us through these dark, dark days, and 'Channel Heaven' is a worthwhile reference point for others looking to take up the mantle. Pop music has seldom seen such grace and style...

Trouble Music

Frightfully nice pop? Hardly. Channel Heaven/Pearls, the first double-A side from London-based, multicontinental indiepop quartet The Lollies, may sound pretty and nice, but scratch that frosted surface and you'll find a whole lotta seethe. Channel Heaven is the crush anthem felt by every girl who ever wept over a boy that never noticed her. The chiming keyboards and delicate vocals make this single virtually drip with cherry lip balm tears, providing the perfect counterbalance to Pearls, an acerbic duet with Chris T-T that gives voice to the demon dialogue lurking in each of us.

Oh, and the vinyl. Thick like a proper indie single should be, its bright raspberry colour makes it look good enough to eat. Deep grooves mean almost CD-quality sound, which can only enhance this sugarspun pop delight. The art is pretty, too.

What's On:

chiming, sweet folk-pop with punk overtones. this double a-side is only available on 7" (magenta vinyl no less). refreshingly different - i've got a feeling we're going to be hearing a lot more from this lot.