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The most immediately striking thing about “Zorbing,” a track from the young Oxford, England band Stornoway, is the strange barbershop quartet/gospel choir/sea chantey backing vocals that drop in from out of nowhere at the end of the first verse. In an era when indie bands are tossing industrial-size kitchen sinks into their arrangements, it takes ingenuity to be able to coax a “well, I wasn’t expecting that” reaction from listeners.
After that, the soaring melody of the verses and vocalist Brian Briggs’ clear, pure tenor kick in. When the trumpet swoops in towards the end, it’s clear that “Zorbing” is a fine new entry in the U.K. tradition of well-scrubbed folk-pop stretching back through James, The Housemartins and Del Amitri to early-1980s practitioners like Aztec Camera, Haircut 100, and The Bluebells. Roddy Frame, Edwyn Collins, or Nick Heyward would not be embarrassed to have the song in their catalogs.
In these days of fractured musical fandom, Stornoway’s hopes of reaching a larger audience are likely limited, which is a shame. 4AD completists will snatch them up, then wonder why they don’t really sound much like anything else on 4AD (which is releasing their debut LP, Beachcomber’s Windowsill, on August 8th), and fans of alt-folk in general will likely find them enjoyable. But in another era, they might have been huge–they’re talented, photogenic (the entire band is a preview of what the offspring of Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson will grow up to look like once they couple starts squeezing out young ‘uns), and immensely likeable. And with “Zorbing” they’ve written a song as good as “Love Plus One,” “Oblivious,” or any number of other clean-cut U.K. pop hits which are now considered classics.
(237 votes, average: 9.32 out of 10)
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July 29th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
I just can’t help but listen to this song on repeat…This is a beautiful, melodic song that completely enraptures me and I doubt I’ll ever get tired of it. I’ve found great songs on this site before but this one is definitely the best.
July 31st, 2010 at 11:36 am
I love this song! Stornoway is such a great band.
I heard them this summer at positivus festival, fell in love!
August 4th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
What a beautifully charming track! I liked it so much that I bought the MP3 album. These guys have such a fresh, innocent sound. And Brian Briggs’ vocals, especially, are positively angelic. Thanks, Danny, for putting this little gem on the site.
August 4th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
So glad you loved it, TK. They’re definitely a refreshing act.
August 19th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Heard this song on the UrbanOutfitters playlist… instantly became my summer anthem. 2 months of listening to this song on repeat and I still can’t get enough! SO GORGEOUS
August 21st, 2010 at 2:58 am
wow, this really surprised me, but in a good way. I loved it. I wish I’d heard this song earlier in the summer, it’s got such a great vibe. It actually reminded me (somewhat) of a song by the Beatles…. I love the singer’s voice too, it’s refreshing compared to all the screamo bands that sound exactly the same. I so want to hear more by these guys!
August 21st, 2010 at 1:05 pm
I feel good when I listen!!
August 28th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Zorbing is a real word! I’m definitely “zorbing” when I dance to this on repeat while cooking dinner.
August 31st, 2010 at 7:28 am
So James-esque. Amazing. I do love it
February 19th, 2011 at 2:27 am
Look at those fucking hipsters
February 19th, 2011 at 11:51 am
I heard this track at Starbucks after a day of shopping at Ralph Lauren’s Rugby.
May 6th, 2011 at 5:59 am
Utterly BRILLIANT! Best song I have heard in years. It tickles my ears. ow did I miss it? Reminds me The Coral’s “Dreaming of You,” its so catchy and enthusiastic. But … I’m old.