The Thousands

Fake Tan are a band. Tom, Vince and Ryan first realised they could play pop music after stumbling home inebriated from a party. They plugged in and dropped out. They liked what they heard, so they kept jamming. And, lo, it was good, a heady brew of classic Beach Boys pop with the type of authentic low fidelity production you only get from having either no money or state-of-the-art studio trickery.

Volume 1 is, as the name suggests, a handful of formative, tentative tunes from boys growing right before our ears. It’s not just a pat on the head and a resigned shrug; ‘Oh, they could be good in a few years’. They’re fantastic now – playing the gauzy surf pop that Pitchfork salivates over. Bunched vocals about doing things we maybe shouldn’t evoke memories of being 17 again. It’s no mean feat. making compelling, rough around the edges pop gems at the same age most of us are learning to drive. Expect more from Fake Tan, but start at the beginning.