Sleepy Records [CD, 2007]

Imagine the scenario: Stuart Murdoch circa 2000 enters a small café and orders an Americano.  A 1978 Elvis Costello sits in a black suit at a nearby table with legs crossed sipping a cup of hot tea.  Murdoch is served his drink and joins Costello.  Nearby a Sarah Records rep sits observing the two, who discuss joining forces to release an album in 2007.  That album is to be titled How To Swim And Live and the moniker will be Little Name.

It is easy to desire a backing band somewhere between Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura fronted by an early Elvis Costello and now that desire has be fulfilled.  How To Swim And Live encompasses this interesting combination from the earliest notes of “For The Attention Of” to the final moments of “You Tear My Love Apart.”

Front-man Lee Barker’s plush vocals and intricate instrumentation blend the light romanticism of indie-pop with the sweetness of twee.  What differs between Barker and the typical indie-popster is that Barker is a true master at crafting vocal patters and blending with them beautiful orchestration and a twee-like guitar jangle and drum shuffle. 

Dissection of sounds and influences aside, Little Name has created a work of art; beautiful and mystic, How To Swim And Live is a timeless piece with elements from 60s and 70s baroque artists like Burt Bacharach, light pop-rock traits from Elvis Costello and The Smiths, and a dose of modern orchestral indie-pop from Belle & Sebastian.

Though I’ve already given it several spins, each one is as good as the last. On this particular rotation, “Tracy & I” just began.  Enough is enough:  I’m going to put aside my laptop and enjoy the rest of the album.

Little Name: Homepage

Little Name: MySpace

1. For The Attention Of
2. I Always See The Sun Rise
3. How To Swim & Live
4. Tracy & I
5. Orienteering
6. A Life Such As Mine
7. Picked Out The Line
8. Nobody Loves You
9. Dreaming Is A Private Thing
10. That Was Your Place Of Birth
11. Sam And Molly Are In Love
12. You Tear My Love Apart