Shuffling up in surreal slippers from their basement rehearsal studio in Bristol, Actual Size are one of the more eccentric bands on the rise, but profoundly endearing with it.
Opening tune 'Safety Catch' wrongfoots you several times. You think you're in a folk song, then distorted piano and shuffle beats kick in and we head for the junk-shop rock hills.
The obvious ace in their hand is singer Ed Patrick who cuts through whatever kind of mangled soul-rock they're fusing, sounding strong and plaintive like a 70s reggae singer, despite being a longhaired whiteboy and ex-metal fan. ‘Swan Lake' is cheekily built round the appropriate ballet sample, waltzing along dreamily.
Elsewhere they skip from funk noise mash-ups to stuttering banjo chants, but their embrace of all things musically oddball and twisted-fi never sounds like showing off.
Just maverick cool tunes from a quintet of real originals. Keep watching.
Roger Morton
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