MP3 Premiere: Sick Friend’s “Cottages”

Sick Friend: The Draft Dodger (Bird & Flag, 2/14/12)

Sick Friend: “Cottages”

[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/01-Cottages.mp3|titles=Sick Friend: “Cottages”]

Valentine’s Day saw the release of a debut EP from Montreal duo Sick Friend. The album is titled The Draft Dodger, but it’s not so much about war as it is about a post-move sensation of being a stranger in a strange land — a nomad.

Though the band consists only of singer/guitarist Michael O’Brien and Geordie Kingsbury on drums, keyboard, and synth, they manage to channel a healthy does of dream-pop goodness.

Today we have for you the album’s opening track, “Cottages.” On it, you’ll hear O’Brien’s breathy, syncopated pop melodies backed by his hazy guitar riffs and Kingsbury’s synth accents. It’s fun and catchy, and promises to get under your skin.