Little Sprout’s first full-length draws from a range of dissonant genres.
Fake Cake is the perfect name for Little Sprout’s new LP. What appears to be cute indie rock on the surface becomes louder and grungier once you bite in; punk music with colourful frosting. The three-piece from Vancouver consistently describe themselves as “shy”, but they’ve made some very noisy creative decisions on Fake Cake.
Since Little Sprout’s self-titled EP in 2017, the band put out one single, “Carport”, which was a distinctly grunge-type track. This new release, however, is nine fresh songs that draw from various influences including psych-rock, dream-pop, and even metal.
“The Bees” is a standout, its distorted instrumentation punctuating Amie Gislason’s vocals and bringing her absurd lyrics upfront; “the bees the bees and the anti-freeze.” “Rehab” and “Really Nice Lake” also highlight how Reese Patterson’s harder bass-lines meet Gislason’s dreamy guitar riffs. And Sean Gordon really smashes up the drums in wild ways on the track “Laughing Stock.”
On “Hellcat,” Gislason tries her hand at a rough, throaty, metal-type scream that is completely unexpected. Its doom metal-inspired chorus floating in pop-punk verses keeps listeners on edge; not exactly what you’d expect from a band who always call themselves “shy.”
They may describe themselves as “shy,” but charming might be more apt. Fake Cake is short and sweet, and also sour and bitter. Like most good DIY bands, Little Sprout keeps its music perfectly sloppy, but they manage to swirl different influences into one chaotic project and wrap it with a pretty bow that is imaginative and promising.
