London four-piece Nolita View found inspiration for their name from 'Driver, Surprise Me' by The National. A good omen. Especially considering the band used to be called Fez. Their self-titled debut EP came out this summer but with surprisingly limited coverage, we figured we'd get the bandwagon rolling once more.
The EP opens with an ethereal instrumental, that transforms into hyperactive synthpop, hinting at great things. The rousing anthem 'Monster' delivers in an appropriate fashion, an ode to Phoenix and The Who. That might sound perplexing but it works terrifically, and as the track builds and builds, it's easy to imagine Nolita View dominating a stadium setting.
The EP perhaps peaks too early - 'Suitable Position' is a little too indebted to The Strokes, while closing track 'Parallel' is at its best only towards its finale, where it mixes the emotion of Frightened Rabbit (or The National, for that matter) with elements of shoegaze. The band are currently recording the follow-up to this debut EP,
Listen to and purchase the 'Nolita View' EP at nolitaview.bandcamp.com. Find more info at facebook.com/pages/Nolita-View.
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