The Little Ones - Sing Song

Being a sucker for the kind of hand-clap employing, funny vocal warbling, good-natured pop that The Little Ones so effortlessly hatch, I'm either in an excellent or a terrible position to review their debut EP Sing Song. In regards to the former, I listen to stuff similar to this all the time. But for the latter charge, not everyone shares my addiction. For what it's worth, I give 'em a thumbs up. The Little Ones are bearers of the belief that they're merely "creating and planting notes [they] feel will grow to become melodies." By keeping a collective childlike persona intact, the Los Angeles-bred fivesome beget an ambrosial arrival to the indie rock scene, lining up behind their musical brethren in The Spinto Band, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and so on. With only six tracks to serve as the band's introduction to most people, Sing Song fares just fine. Incorporating keyboards, "whoa oh's" and well, bells, into "Let Them Ring the Bells" for the opener, the Littles set up the vertebrae for the rest of the EP--whimsical, deftly executed indie pop. "Lovers Who Uncover" flaunts simple structures and steady group claps with a squeaky clean keyboard line to back it all up. "Cha Cha Cha" emphasizes Caribbean beats and maracas in its percussion-centric delivery where "High on a Hill" relies heavily on the drums to drive its key-savvy melody and bubbly vocals. "Oh, MJ!" is soaked in thick, pounding bass; closing track "Heavy Hearts Brigade" probably takes the cake (layered in icing and sprinkles, of course) as the most airy and musically engaging of the bunch. The Little Ones pull off a boisterous, enthusiastic, and most importantly, appealing debut. And if their future is half as vibrant and charming as this EP's cover, they'll be in a good place. [www.wearethelittleones.com]