Not sure if this applies to the rest of the world, but in the Netherlands we have this weird, worrisome trend: venues increasingly booking tribute bands. They explain the move as a necessity. Tribute bands sell out easily, but it feels like yet another regression, another step in the total enshittification of popular culture. Look, I don’t mean this as a dig. If you enjoy watching (often very skilled) musicians dress up and cosplay as your favorite bands of yesteryear, knock yourself out. But can I point out that brand new originals are among us? The kind of band that will leave you absolutely smitten, making you scratch your head over the fact they actually wrote these songs themselves, playing them with a fervor that makes you believe this is what it was like to experience your favorite bands at the height of their powers. Not the slightly overweight, scruffy version of that musical hero who passed away a while ago.

I’m talking about bands like Daniel Romano and The Lemon Twigs. See them live once and you’re sold for life. And with their debut LP Borrowed Time, even before catching them live, I’m adding Mod Lang to that list. This four-piece have been steadily conquering the US Midwest with their stellar mix of classic UK-US influences, and they make it sound effortless. I’ll second Patrick Donders’ excellent description on his recommended new blog Chiming Back: a bit of Raspberries and Big Star mixed with the songs John Lennon would write for the Beatles. Yeah, this sounds like something created in the ’70s at the latest. But here’s the thing: Mod Lang don’t sound like a tribute band at all. They’re not playacting or parodying their heroes. They’ve clearly got two rules and two rules only: write the best possible pop-rock ‘n’ roll songs and make them fun as hell for everyone involved.

None of these rules are broken on Borrowed Time. Not even close.

Out now on Just Add Water Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Just Add Water Records