‘Ideal Girl’ by The Cradles (Single)

The Cradles: a band heading purposefully in the right direction

Youthful Welsh quintet provide an insouciant mix of two of England’s most successful indie-rock acts on their brand new single

We’re sure you’ve all wondered what the love child of The Coral and Arctic Monkeys would sound like. We certainly have. Well, Welsh indie-rockers The Cradles have kindly answered the question on their brand new single Ideal Girl.

The guitars open with a psychedelic squall before adopting a tone that briefly threatens to veer off into swamp rock. This dipping of toes into Louisiana sludge is just that, though, as The Cradles opt to mix the psych-pop of Liverpool quintet The Coral with the indie-rock blueprint mapped so clearly by Alex Turner’s rabble. The Cradles’ singer Joe Norman’s vocals do much to add to the resemblance to the former.

Does it all work? Broadly yes. Ideal Girl has the deliciously insouciant drawl that comes from being young, in a band and heading purposely in the right direction. There is the nagging sense of an energy that simmers rather than ignites, which has you wondering if The Cradles have a change of pace in them. That the Welsh quintet have the hooks to have you asking questions of their potential is confirmation that they’re already striking the right chords.

Verdict: Intriguing psych-inflected indie-rock

Damien Girling

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