Sleepydust

It's good to know that the Field Mice are revered in various locales around the world. They really were a wonderful band and the Snowdrops keep their indie pop meets synth pop sound alive and well on their first EP, 2005's Sleepydust. Comprised of Lovejoy's Dick Preece, Blueboy and Lovejoy's Keith Girdler, and indie pop heroine Pam Berry (from too many groups to mention but currently the Pines), the trio isn't just aping the Mice; they have enough emotion, melodic knowhow, and songcraft to make something more than just an homage. The title track is the real gem here, a bubbling love song with perfectly lovely harmonies from Girdler and Berry as well as some cute-as-kittens fake handclaps. The 12" version of the song is much the same, but features more vocals from Berry — which is always a good idea. The other pop tune on the disc ("Too Cold to Snow" and "Teddy Dragons" are short instrumentals) features Preece on vocals and is not as buoyant as "Sleepydust," but still very good. The main thing missing in the song are vocals from Berry. The EP serves as a nice introduction to the group and a listen or two will have you eagerly awaiting a full-length release.