Jeremy Williams-Chalmers, Arts Correspondent

Sea Girls - Open Your Head Up

London four-piece Sea Girls have been building towards their debut album for a very long time. Having released their debut single, Call Me Out, back in 2017, the group have four EPs under their belt and have appeared on numerous 'ones-to-watch- lists - including those by MTV, Radio X and the BBC. While many would have anticipated an album at the height of their initial buzz back in 2019, the band have spent time on the road developing their sound and finally deliver Open You Head Up.



Comparisons to The Killers and Kings of Leon are not new for the quartet, and the content of their debut album puts them on a par with some of the strongest releases from both the aforementioned. While essentially an indie band, like both the stadium filling acts, they are unafraid of pop leanings and the album embraces a radio friendly approach, without sounding like it was crafted solely for commercial acclaim.

Opening with the uplifting Transplant, the group show immediately that this is an album that means the business and has huge echoes of The Killers' breakthrough debut album. Equally reminiscent of that prime period of indie-pop is the sensational Weight In Gold.

However, it is when the band sound fully like themselves and not the band's that have clearly helped shaped their sound that the album is lifted to the next level. The awesome Moving On and epic chorus of Damage Done are destined to take the band to stadium fillers on their own terms.

Although there are moments on the album that feel too similar to other bands, all is forgiven as this is one heck of an enjoyable listen.