Single Review: Quarter To Ten

Here we have the latest single from Christchurch band The Late Starters, which is a precursor to the EP due out later this year. They released their debut album, Age – A State of Mind, back in 2019 and lovingly describe their music as “an enjoyable nostalgic trip into the future.” The nostalgia is certainly strong as if anyone said this was a lost song from the Eighties then they would be believed, and it is of no surprise to me that they are playing with The Jordan Luck Band later this year, as if the rest of their music is anything like this then fans of The Exponents will be in for a great night.

This is classic Kiwi underground indie pop rock with hooks and an annoyingly catchy chorus which buries itself inside the brain and stays there. In more than one way they are also reminiscent of Toy Dolls, with a punk pop approach which is never over produced and a song which begs to have everyone singalong with it. That the song repeatedly tells people they should be in bed because it is quarter to ten does not really seem to matter to anyone, as somehow it all makes sense within the context. Here is a band who are out to have a good time and are more than happy to have a laugh at themselves, and anyone who is going to do just that is always guaranteed to provide a good time. This is a fun number, guaranteed to make the listener smile, and I for one am looking forward to catching them live at some point in the future.