The Big Moon have been hovering around that crucial point just under the radar until the vital time to come up and attack. They’ve been gaining traction in all the right places for a while now, earning them long-time support from both the industry and the fans. They’ve had spots on BBC Radio 1, Amazing Radio, played a massive 11 shows over four days at this year’s SXSW and been photographed by the illustrious Charlotte Pattmore, who seems to capture every key indie band of the past few years before anyone else. Now they’ve finally played their hand and released Love In The 4th Dimension, the debut that has been anticipated since the release of their single ‘Cupid’ back in 2016.

The album opens with the latest single ‘Sucker’ a fairly straightforward romp showing all their signature chops. It shows that the band really can write a great chorus and there’s plenty of them throughout. It’s a good opener, it starts off as just a pretty standard indie song, but after a minute those fears are washed away. These guys really know how to grow a song.

Over the next few tracks things really start to develop and the album really blossoms. We come back to the start at track three with ‘Cupid’. It’s their first single and the one that really caught the attention of those in the know. It’s been a while since I’ve heard it, only a year old but it shows something quite rare. The band were at this level from the beginning, it’s been a case of everyone else catching up to them. ‘Pull The Other One’ is a favourite of mine; it’s got a loose feel to it along with some great guitar work. It manages to keep a relaxed feel whilst remaining every bit as catchy and as strong as any of the other tracks on their debut.

‘Formidable’ is the most straight up indie rock track on the album; it’s strong, exciting and punchy. In the bridge is one of the best vocal moments on the album, perfectly in sync with the chords, managing to send a shiver up the spine. ‘Bonfire’ is another great guitar-heavy song. The band really play around here and it comes across as almost off the cuff, it has all those messy, spikey guitar riffs and has the feel of a live performance.

The album is full of great tracks; there’s no mid-album lull, no filler or throwaway tracks. It’s put together as though it’s a live set which captures the excitement of seeing them. There’s no sense of over production, it’s balanced and put together in a way that suits the band very well.

There’s a hell of a lot going on musically in the album. These are all very busy players, with the songs being packed full of guitar riffs and basslines with not a dull moment throughout. This doesn’t mean the album is undisciplined; they all play together with a sense of harmony and balance. The moments on the album which have less going on are executed in a way which perfectly suits the moment. Keeping your ears pricked, there’s always something happening in the background, in particular loads of really great but subtle guitar licks beneath the surface. Title track ‘Love In The 4th Dimension’ and ‘Zeds’ are really great examples of this, the songs are slower and in that space are some great little moments.

Love In The 4th Dimension manages to capture the band’s sound incredibly well. They play in a choppy, jagged fashion but it’s held together by a beautiful smooth vocal, keeping all elements of excitement and tension but with an added studio sheen that works perfectly. It sticks to all those things that make them an exciting band whilst sounding developed and refined. They still sound like the band I saw years ago at a tiny club in Brighton.

Guilty of being a sucker for a great closing track, the appropriately titled ‘The End’ doesn’t disappoint in any way and it could even be my favourite off the album. It starts slowly and every 15 seconds or so grows a little more ‘til it reaches the huge chorus. It’s a song that keeps building and building, it fools you into thinking it’s gone as far as it will go, and then goes even further.

Overall, Love In The 4th Dimension, is one of the strongest debuts I’ve heard in a very long time. It’s a record that makes you long to start a band of your own. It’s balanced and simple yet incredibly strong and fierce, it’s the sound of a great band being captured at a crucial moment. The Big Moon are at the start of their journey with Love In The 4th Dimension being the great beginning, leaving you longing for more.
Chris Middleton

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