If you like some of The Vaccines’ earlier work, Birdy or Slow Club, Masakichi might be worth having a listen to. Three London-based musicians – Hannah Cartwright, Reuben Gotto and Hattie Williams – make up the indie rock band. Their first single, ‘Spring’, is a ballad with moody, dulcet vocals and electric guitar. It feels mellow, but it evokes a sense of waking up, rather than falling asleep. Though drum-heavy in parts, it is not the raucous, upbeat tune you might expect from a typical indie group. There is an interesting contrast between the haunting vocals and the comparatively driving percussion, which dominate alternately throughout the song.
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Masakichi have also recorded an acoustic version of ‘Spring’ in an Artspace Studios session, featuring a cello accompaniment. This version shows off Hannah Cartwright’s voice beautifully. There is a definite element of the folky singer-songwriter in this version of ‘Spring’; it will be interesting to see which genre the band settle into as they move forward.
Words by Rebecca Fitzjohn – @BecciFitzjohn