Lizard Cuts by Bat And Ball (Single)

The ball’s in your court, with new single ‘Lizard Cuts’

New single ‘Lizard Cuts’ is a well-arranged slow-burner that shows that Bat And Ball can sound huge – and truly original

at And Ball are a five-piece fronted by brother and sister Abi and Chris Sinclair. The group got together at Goldsmiths University, whose musical alumni include the likes of Blur, James Blake and Katy B. Could we be looking at a future addition to the Goldsmiths musical hall of fame?

Bat And Ball’s previous efforts have seen the band show an ability to scope and tap into many different forms of alternative and electronic music. There are comparisons to Scandi-pop such as the sorrowful croon of Lykke Li and the pumped-up, catchy electronic music of Kate Boy. However the group bring British sensibilities to their music: Daughter and Alt-J are obvious comparisons with their emotionally charged lyrics and celestial guitars. The band venture further musically, too, delving into little pop-quirks similar to the likes of Feist.

In a recent interview, vocalist Abi Sinclair explained that many of their songs come from dealing with anxiety. The reptilian title of the new single Lizard Cuts comes from the lyric “Lizard cuts the bite off”, which is a reference to certain lizards being able to shed their tail when being attacked, with some even having the ability to grow it back. A curious, relatable analogy in a world where anxiety is a prominent trouble.

Lizard Cuts begins a little more quiet and bare than previous singles. It’s a slow burner, and they turn their slow pent-up energy into a mixture of sincere, broadly influenced indie-pop. To begin it’s supported by a simple, fragile-sounding guitar and by little quirks of percussion and samples that highlight their thought for arrangements. Sinclair’s voice is strong and confident over the music. As the song progresses, the bass pulsates around the keys and the guitar. The end brings a huge-sounding conclusion with Sinclair’s echoed strong vocal supported by spacey keys and guitars and it’s sadly cut too short.

It’s difficult to really box this band, which is why Bat And Ball are exciting. Their influences are so broad and neatly put together that they surpass sounding like another copy of a high-flying indie band currently in the charts. Lizard Cuts really shows how tight the band are and gives promise that they could join those musical alumni in the future.

Verdict: A fresh-sounding slice of eclectically-inspired indie-pop

Tilly Dowman

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