Arts & Culture
Music review: The Ocelot checks out Little Brother Eli's latest single 'Our Kind of Love'

Following the release of their last track Tooth, Oxfordshire band Little Brother Eli are ready to unleash their latest single Our Kind of Love, May 18.

Little Brother Eli have come a long way already. And at this stage in their four-year career show no signs off stopping. Recently the four-piece have been smashing their live gigs with a number of sets for Sofar Sounds including Oxford and Bath, as well as hitting various venues across the UK. As The Ocelot found out at a recent Gappy Tooth gig their live performances are also something to behold and a band worth heading out for - energetic and electric. Their last track Tooth was a transitional step to introducing their new sound and proved progressive for the guys as a band. Having had a sneak preview of Our Kind of Love it was really wonderful to know that Tooth was not a stand-alone track – Our Kind of Love demonstrates how Little Brother Eli continue to evolve and excel. The song also has a strange comparability laid somewhere between The Arctic Monkeys and Maroon 5’s later material with influxes of R&B melodies. With that in mind, LBE still have their original grittiness which got them well-deserved attention when they first hit the music scene. LBE’s lead singer Alex has always boasted a really versatile vocal range, but this song in particular really allows his voice to soar – add in the gentle harmonies combined with incredibly polished intonations of bass, guitar and drums, and you quickly realise you’re listening to a band without limits. That being said, Our Kind of Love is also a lot of fun both lyrically and sonically. The track gradually rises in intensity, reverberating with really edgy and catchy riffs – the kind of riffs where you realise parts of your body are involuntary moving, but you’re completely cool with it. It’s a sound which is hard not to get involved with. Infusing twangs of psychedelic funk Our Kind of Love is very ‘new romantic’ in comparison to the band’s earlier material, but they’ve adapted to their new sound qualities with a certain finesse – their latest track really enables LBE to unleash their swagger which they bring to their live performances. I was a little uncertain when LBE declared they’d gone in a new direction – gone were the dapper waistcoats encompassing working man chic, executed musically with a coarse and gritty garage rock finish. And yet LBE have somehow shape-shifted, talent in tow, sauntering into nu wave territories with the same energy running in a different direction which sounds completely natural to them. It was a bold and brave move, and it’s completely paid off. BBC Introducing’s Dave Gilyeat hailed them as the: “hardest working band in Oxfordshire…” and in my opinion, Little Brother Eli are proving to be the most dynamic – a gift that keeps on giving. I’m pretty confident that I’ve found my song for the summer. Here’s two sneak previews of Our Kind of Love - http://youtu.be/wX8KsBWVjFI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1weWjwtidwk&feature=youtu.be For further information, and gig dates, visit www.littlebrothereli.com

  • Music review: The Ocelot checks out Little Brother Eli's latest single 'Our Kind of Love'
  • Music review: The Ocelot checks out Little Brother Eli's latest single 'Our Kind of Love'
  • Music review: The Ocelot checks out Little Brother Eli's latest single 'Our Kind of Love'
  • Music review: The Ocelot checks out Little Brother Eli's latest single 'Our Kind of Love'