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Minisnap: Bounce Around

Christchurch’s Minisnap are three members of The Bats (Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean, and Malcolm Grant), joined by Marcus Winstanley from The Undercurrents. They released two EPs as a trio before Winstanley joined them for this debut album, produced and mostly recorded and mixed by Kean at Pocket Music in the garden city. You would swear that the classic Flying Nun sound never truly vanished, ‘Bounce Around’ has those signature jangly guitars, lively rhythms and soaring vocal lines and harmonies. No bad thing, the sound suits the band’s style, Minisnap write wonderful, danceable alt-pop songs that leave a smile on the face, and a desire to move to the beat. Grant’s backbeat grounds the material, and is solid and strong, while songwriter Woodward’s charming, guileless vocals are sweet, Kean’s bass melodic, and Winstanley’s guitar lines suitably intricate. The use of the charango on New Broom adds to the infectious rhythms, and the shuffling, minor-key Wintersweet is a highlight as all parts of the musical equation come together well. One of the best and most enjoyable albums I’ve heard this year, this one is highly recommended.

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