I haven’t heard much about The Plus 4 but the music they’ve released so far is really speaking to me. The band kicked off 2023 with the aptly-dubbed “Resolution (Happy New Year),” a vampy glam strutter with a touch of 1970s Kinks in the vocals.  The song has a got a shambolic party vibe but don’t be fooled, that’s just a stylistic covering. This baby is one solid 45. Then barely one month later the band released another real smash single, the janglicious “You Look Right Through Me.” This one has a got a Beatles “Should Have Known Better” ambience, with an extra helping of Byrdsian trebly guitar. The more I listen to this track the more I want to listen to it. I mean, those ‘sha la la’s are exquisite. This month witnessed another singles instalment, this time taking things in a different direction. Sure, the jangle is still there, but the source material is a curious choice, a cover of Toyah’s “It’s a Mystery.” Now to be honest, going back and listening to the original version this is not a song I would normally give the time of day. But The Plus 4 take this thing off life support and literally breathe new life into it. You can hear the melody and the hooks that were buried in the original’s early-1980s bombastic production and instrumentation. The song now sparkles, all bright guitar lines, airy vocals and delightful shots of atmospheric harmonica.

The Plus 4 manage to sound so familiar and yet something new at the same time. Clearly I’m digging this new breed. I just hope it’s not going to take another 7 months to fill out a 10 track album.

For now, you can check out the jangle mystery of The Plus 4 at their Bandcamp page here.