This offering from Indie trio, The Marsden Lees instantly has a 90s vibe to it, from the cardboard CD Single packaging, to the stripped back production.

There’s no gloss, no bullshit polish, no over-done over-dubs.

These boys cut straight to the chase, creating crafty indie pop songs, all coming in around the standard 3 to 4 minute mark.

What is evident in the sound of this EP is the amount of space left, leaving the instruments room to breathe and float. The drums cut through, but also feel like they are at the back of the sound. This one is a hard one to describe. It’s a subtle production used on the drums, bringing to mind the early sounds of Dinosaur JR.

The track, ‘Sarah’ is a personal stand-out out of the five tracks on offer. The boppy feel, and the ‘oh oh woah oh oh’s’ in unison are a great hook, and vocalist Aaron’s voice bounces and cracks in parts, with the guitars jangling and shining through the almost Violent Femmes sounding bassline.

‘Lime & Twist’ is a clever little ditty, with the guitars sparkling all over the track. I love the absolute lack of distortion and effects used in this band. An almost garagey-approach is used in their sound, but they manage to make it sound light, fun and a lot older than they are.

Finishing up with a touch of synth in the closing track, ‘In the Water’, it’s a strange song, but fittingly a great way to end the EP. My only criticism with this track would have been to put the guitars in the back, and bring the synths up a touch.

Overall, ‘Vices’ is a neat package of local indie pop with a DIY sensibility and a sly nudge to 90’s alternative music, from a bunch of kids that would have been in nappies when that sound was in full swing. Got to love that.

Rooster.