The driving force in commercial indie music at the moment seems to be simple songs with soaring vocals and at least one acoustic guitar. On that premise then Big Sur are headed for the big time. Just as long as people hear about them before they get bored to tears with Coldplay, Starsailor and Travis.

The opening track Desert Song is an ode to escaping “to the desert where I will feel fine” and it would fit in perfectly on Capital Gold’s playlist circa 1993 along with Hotel California by the Eagles. I don’t know why but this single makes me depressed. Perhaps it is the maudlin delivery, the fact that despite the kazoo on Be Happy – a song that bears an uncanny resemblance to Fairy Tale in New York by the Pogues – Big Sur deal in melancholic melodies that would deflate somebody who has laughing gas for breakfast lunch and dinner AND who gobbles down enough ecstasy to make an elephant high for a weekend.

This is pleasant music that will probably appeal to thirty year olds who have long since stopped buying the NME and who fancy a bit of easy listening.