There’s something ever so slightly uncomfortable about the pairing of Alice Costelloe and KC Underwood, AKA Big Deal..
Sounding beautiful, and drawing on Costelloe’s innocent vocal to envelop the recipient in a hazy dream of nostalgic summers long gone, sonically the London duo tick all the boxes.
However it’s the age difference, which is played upon to its full extent, that has already had some critics allude to the band as “Lolita Pop”, and tempts a wry eyebrow raise with songs that mainly abound around school and awkward sexual encounters, inviting a voyeuristic glance into an implicitly explicit intimacy. It’s a relationship that is pushed harder with a cover of Big Star’s ‘13’ with the opening line, “Won’t you let me walk you home from school?”
Whilst aware that Big Deal are living up to their name in taking us on this journey, it does set up a fascinating dynamic within the band that’s different to anything we’ve heard in a good while.
After playing only a handful of gigs, attention around the pair has already started to gather pace, something that Underwood is not letting faze him. “We’ve never felt pressure about it. It’s just nice that people are listening to us. We’re just happy to have a bit of exposure early.”
Keep your eye out for them, as there is certainly more to come in the future.
Words by Sam Ballard
Where: London
What: Lolita Pop
Unique Fact: The pair only got together last summer.
Get 3 Songs: ‘Homework’, ‘13’, ‘Lunch Money’
