World Atlas is slated to give us their self-titled EP early next month on Magic Marker Records. The band is joined by Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good To Me) on guitar and The Umbrella Girls on hand-claps, tambourines and back-up vocals. Fronted ultimately by Brian Groux on vocals and guitar, World Atlas is what you’d expect from a band on Magic Marker — they dig The Smiths and Velvet Underground, and list as influences the various indie-pop and twee sub-cultures.

“The Winter Stories” is the first track to be cleared off the EP and its sounds are piano-heavy with a shuffle in the percussion and a Glasgow-ish vocal pop sound. Thick with instrumentation, from harmonica to strings, “The Winter Stories” is the perfect late winter song. The sun is out and the sky is clear, but the frost has yet to melt away and the air has a harsh bite to it. It’s the perfect fireplace song, cozy and swaddled in a comfortable blanket. You could have this song on repeat all day. World Atlas couldn’t come at a better time.

World Atlas: The Winter Stories [mp3]

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