As the year draws to a close, the flood of new releases has calmed down, but luckily we can count on British indie pop stalwarts The Roves for a nice surprise. In mid-December 2022, they released the Needle Factory LP, which they now follow up with the mini-album Pope & The Computer—seven songs in 23 minutes—around the same time. It paints a nervous portrait of modern emotional life: people desperate to connect but never quite managing to say the right thing, or be heard at all.
On a bed of shimmering guitars and a solid sound, the lyrics circle insecurity, loneliness and quiet mental-health struggles, mixing self-blame, social comparison, and romantic jealousy with the dull grind of work, financial worries and days slipping by without resolution. Yet a gloomy phrase like “I’ve got money in my hand // But it never lasts forever, oh no” can easily turn into an infectious “Woah yeah” (in I Don’t Know Yet). The warm melodies, rich orchestration, and vibrant harmonies ensure an uplifting remembrance no matter what.
Pope & The Computer—produced by Dom Monks—is out now digitally and on 12″ vinyl through Discotif / The State51 Conspiracy.
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