Think of something nice. Something sonorous that washes over you and leaves you refreshed like shower gel with aloe vera and plant extracts is supposed to do. At the risk of being prosecuted for using a dodgy metaphor, Larkin Poe are like musical shower gel and they clean the dirt right off their music with their EP “Winter”.
Given my propensity for putting pen to paper, I am clearly a man of many opinions. My opinion of Larkin Poe during their warmer weather period – I mean their “Spring” and “Summer” EPs, of course - was that they were almost impossibly charming. Then again, distinctive female voices and sibling harmonies do that to me. With their “Winter” EP however, they seem less charming and, dare I say it, more than a touch cold (and I'm not referencing the seasonal theme either). “Cure for The Common Cold” is superficially warm and smooth but is delivered with an unexpected icy precision. You could also say that “Trance”, whilst easily the best song here sounds, also turns down the heat in a calculating attempt at making perfect Americana.
I don’t begrudge any musician commercial success as making music is no doubt considerably more satisfying than stacking shelves in a supermarket. Larkin Poe appear to have decided here that stealing hearts isn’t likely to make them money so, while I still have a lot of time for them, they seem to be in some danger of getting trapped in the “easy to like but hard to love” category.