At first blush, White Arrows’ Fireworks of the Sea EP almost comes off as twee in its approach, considering the trend electro-pop has recently taken in gravitating toward the dark, haunted sounds of witch house. It’s a refreshing change of pace and is somewhat jarring, but as the three songs play through, it reveals itself for what it is — simply great pop music.
There’s something to White Arrows that is hard to place that gives them a more distinct sound than most electro-pop bands can manage. Perhaps it’s that they recognize there’s really not a need to play into the genre’s over-reliance on synthesizers. While that instrument does frequently appear, it’s always used in tactful moderation as an enhancer rather than the driving force, giving Fireworks of the Sea a feel approaching organic. It’s wonderful.