Culture Music

The Retrospectives – Room with No View EP

The Retrospectives – Room with No View EP | Album review

The city of Sheffield isn’t the first place you’d think to look for giant, electronic-tinged, indie music. Yet, that’s exactly where trio The Retrospectives come from. Room With No View, their debut EP, seems too ambitious to be constrained by such pokey borders, beginning as it does with track Forever. It’s a volley of instrumentals that show off the band’s flair for anthemia. It’s a chaotic whirlwind of frenzied fretwork and clattering percussion that over the course of the 4-track effort can start to drag. However, there is no tarnishing the fact that they have created some brilliant soundscapes.

I Have Never is easily the finest piece of work on the EP. Is it ground breaking? No. But The Retrospectives are rare in that they are neither pretentious nor cynical. They’re using old-school approaches to write high-calibre pop with unquestionable skill, and it’s a pity there aren’t more bands writing songs as timeless as these.

The Retrospectives main strength is their inability to write a boring song , which offers plenty of hope for the future. Room With No View is a succinct collection that bodes well for a full length album.

Standout Track: I Have Never

Naomi Couper

Room with No View is out now. Listen to tracks by The Retrospectives on their Soundcloud page.

More in Culture

Mezcalito Chelsea brings Mexican cuisine, agave spirits, and vibrant culture to the heart of London

Food & Travel Desk

Jancis Robinson to lead fine wine masterclass at Berry Bros & Rudd in support of The Drinks Trust

Food & Travel Desk

Cocotte offers free children’s meals across London locations for October half-term

Food & Travel Desk

Mildreds brings plant-based pop-up to Canary Wharf with takeover at Mallow

Food & Travel Desk

Kricket Shoreditch launches breakfast thali for Diwali with free meals for early birds

Food & Travel Desk

Engel launches Marlene Brunch series with live jazz, soul and burlesque at the Royal Exchange

Food & Travel Desk

Sorbito opens in Stoke Newington as London’s first dedicated mezcal tasting room and bottle shop

Food & Travel Desk

Wahaca marks Day of the Dead with supper club, tequila tastings and new seasonal menu

Food & Travel Desk

Robin Gill serves up European café and aperitivo culture with Bar Brasso in Nine Elms

Food & Travel Desk