Release Radar: Little Oso 'Happy Songs'

We're kicking off 2024 with a dream pop gem from The Pine Tree State

Little Oso. Photo courtesy of the band.

Good Morning!

Today we’re listening to ‘Happy Songs’ by Portland Maine-based Little Oso

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Over the last couple of years, our journey to find new music has taken us to some odd corners of the country. We’ve made stops in places as far afield as Bellingham, Washington, Bloomington, Indiana, and Athens, Georgia. For our first record of 2024, we’re adding a new pin to the map: Portland, Maine.

Little Oso is Jeannette Berman (vocals/guitar), Ricky Lorenzo (guitar), Dana Guth (bass), and DJ Nelson (drums). The band got it’s start in 2013, when Jeannette and Ricky would record tracks at home and send them a friend (and drummer) who would then add his drumming tracks before mixing and mastering it all for release.

Happy Songs got its start during the lockdown and tackles a lot of what we all were going through. Lorenzo & Berman found themselves in Philadelphia, longing for the Before Times. The EP is partly a look back but also looks ahead, as it served as a farewell letter to the city, with the pair preparing to move up to Portland.

The duo spent their first few months in Maine soaking in their new surroundings and making new friends, including many musicians involved in the community. They hadn’t planned to evolve into a full lineup—or even play live— but once they were immersed in the scene, they felt it was something they had to do.

Jeanette tapped her friend Guth to play bass, and a mutual friend connected them with Nelson. With the lineup rounded out, they started playing shows in March last year and haven’t stopped. The band is also getting ready to head to Prism Analog, a local non-profit studio, to record a full-length follow-up.

Happy Songs is a compact EP stuffed full of catchy hooks and jangly guitar. Berman’s vocals are equal parts plaintive and ethereal, floating above a propulsive rhythm. The lyrics cover a lot of relatable things, like love, loss, missing old friends, and making new ones. Seagull Season is an homage to their new hometown. The band is also involved with Sink Maine Medical Debt, a non-profit that aims to eliminate medical debt for mainers most in need.

The band says their sound is inspired by the likes of the Cranberries, The Cure, Slowdive, Shop Assistants, The Vaselines, and Alvvays. Listening to it, I can certainly hear elements of all of the above, but also other bands like Wolf Alice, which might just be me. When I shared that with Lorenzo, he politely described it as an interesting take.

Not in doubt? How much I enjoyed this record.

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Listen:

Little Oso | Happy Songs EP, 2023

Click the record to listen on the platform of your choice.

Grab your copy here. | Connect with the band on Instagram | Listen on Spotify

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this record!

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Thanks for being here,

Kevin—

P.S. If you haven’t already, check out the On Repeat Gift Guide! Lots of people in the community are creating beautiful things just waiting for you to find them! The holidays might’ve passed, but there’s still time to find something cool for that special someone.