The Young Republic: The Girl From The Northern States

Located somewhere between the intelligent blissed-out US indie sound of Galaxie 500 and the scruffy, tuneful UK indie of Belle & Sebastian, Hefner or Bearsuit, ‘Girl From The Northern State’ is another deliciously melodic offering from End Of The Road Records’ first signings The Young Republic. Messy school-hall piano tangles with sweet, swooping strings and wistful lyrics, resulting in a pretty, slight, chanson-like ditty with a summery feel – this song feels destined to find pride of place in a hundred be-stickered indie-kid record boxes across this land.

The b-side, ‘Seeing People You Know’, is a parallel universe prom scene song from a John Waters high school movie. The Hammond organ, horns and almost-in-tune backing "oooooohs" come on like the ghost of a lost Buddy Holly song. It's charmingly tatty - careworn, perhaps; the sound of a band leafing through well-thumbed melodies in their own distinctive style.

The Young Republic are drowning in romance and warm nostalgia for halcyon times I'm not sure I can remember.