Ortolan- EP (Sounds Familyre Rec)
A family band here, 4 young sisters between the ages of 16 and 23 with a penchant for music and parents who fostered such creative outlets from an early age. What began as a coffeehouse whim by a then 13 year old novice guitar player Stephanie Cottingham turned into a family affair and soon enough these youngsters from Southern New Jersey were recording a demo. Within a year they attracted the attention of Sounds Familyre Records and the demo became this 4 song EP- a precursor to the full length slated to be out later this year.
Amazingly, this has a very mature feel to it- far surpassing what you'd expect from a band whose average age is under 20. Front woman Cottingham has a very distinct voice, a higher range angelic tone, as the chord progression and melodies follow in a quirky, playful manner. Imaginative lyrical themes born out of young minds complement the vibrant, colorful songs.
An excellent debut here, full of whimsical folky/pop that has a vintage feel to it while still maintaining a very modern twist to it. Truly defying comparison, I can't think of anything sounding like this, but if you have any Elliott Smith or Death Cab For Cutie in your collection it's pretty safe to say you'll like this.
For fans of: The Beatles, The Shirelles, The Ronnettes, The Ditty Bops.
