Literature

Tie-Dye b/w Apples [7-inch] (2013)

Joe Pelone

Just a year after dropping the similiarly hooky Arab Spring, Literature are already back with two new songs on seven inches of wax. The whole thing is very much in keeping with Literature's sound from, um…several months ago.

"Tie-Dye" opens with an insistent drum beat, chiming guitars and a whole lotta twee vocals. If Pains of Being Pure at Heart were still a good band, it would sound like this song. The tune ends quickly, but that's part of the charm. "Tie-Dye" is vaguely psychedelic (maybe "shimmering" is the right word), but still very much a tightly wound indie pop ditty.

"Apple," helpfully labeled on the B-side with a drawing of an apple, has a more gradual build. Rim clicks and guitar flourishes give way to a haunting verse. Compared to Arab Spring, "Apple" comes off nearly shoegazey a la Black Tambourine, and that's certainly a good thing. Now if only there were even more tunes floating around.