Review: Opposite Sex

Opposite Sex – S/T (Fishrider)
Psych-pop from New Zealand, Opposite Sex nudge me back in time to the early ‘80s when Christchurch’s Flying Nun label were stirring up indie charts throughout the world with bands like The Clean, The Chills and The Bats. To a man (and woman) they were unnervingly retro, equally enthralled by the jangle of The Byrds and The Velvet Underground’s squall, and dammit, they all knew how to write tunes.

So it is with Opposite Sex, though whether they like it or not, they’re contending with a whole new range of influences. Grunge, avant-Americana and lo-fi pop seem to be the main things they’ve picked up on from the past 30 years, which they combine with nagging melodies and oblique rhythms. It’s all highly addictive, the sort of record that gets into your machine and refuses to budge. In-between drawing up a contract of residency and hitting the repeat button I can confirm the following: “La Rat” is two minutes of insidiously catchy indie pop, the sort of thing reputations were forged on in the ‘80s; “Dada Creep” takes all the best bits of guitar-driven post-punk, including needle-sharp picking and a jerky beat, whilst retaining its shiny pop cool. Perhaps the most surprising track is “Vague Notion”. Almost instrumental, it’s combination of Television and The Modern Lovers is irresistible.
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Rob F.