I have a lot of love for Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. Maybe it’s because their name makes me think of Jim Carrey films. It’s more the case that their music is really good, and I rate this Springfield indie-pop outfit pretty highly. I was introduced to them back in 2011 upon hearing their compilation record Tape Club, released through Polyvinyl Records, and since then have returned periodically to the band, particularly on sunny days on the south coast. Their fifth record The High Country is a summer record, idyllic indie-pop laced with charm – bright melodies and shimmering guitar hooks providing a feel-good focus to proceedings. It has a fresh nineties feel to it, trim and neat, while is at times distorted and fuzzy when it frolicks. Retro in delivery. The High Country is an infectious collection, a little weird, but a lot of fun. I’ve lost count of a number of times I’ve had the urge to play Full Possession Of All Her Powers while caught outside in the sunshine, and after digesting that track I tend to stick around for the rest of the record.

Released: 2015                     Label: Polyvinyl Records
Variant: 1st press /?           Purchased from: Pie & Vinyl

I picked this record up from Southsea’s Pie & Vinyl, a very cool store which also serves cake, tea, and ice cream floats. I studied nearby, and when my parents came down once I decided to take them to the seaside, cutting away from the coast to introduce them to one of my favorite record stores in the south of England. They had ice-cream and I browsed the vinyl, eventually stumbling upon The High Country. It was one of the days on which everybody wins. Listening to the LP now, I’m reminded of that day, and of one of the rare instances during which I was able to see my parents while I studied at University a fair way from home. It makes me somewhat nostalgic, but it’s a nice memory to hold onto. Probably just as nice as The High Country is. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin make me miss sunny days on the coast, and that’s cool. Not quite as cool as The High Country though.