Single Review: Bandit - Ice Cream

Liverpool indie-rock quartet Bandit are back with their infectious new single ‘Ice Cream’. The four-piece have found that their new single is quickly becoming a summer-ready anthem.

Filled with catchy melodies and extensive repetition, the new track is portraying a story of young love and the singer’s desire to spend time with a girl, wherever that may be. Speaking about the track, vocalist Nat Waters said: “It’s a tune written about young love. Getting caught in the rain and instead of running for shelter, embracing it. Things aren’t perfect because everything’s not always Disney. Falling in love with a girl as we sat laughing on plastic garden chairs is way more rock-n-roll than that anyway. Youthful nostalgia and summer air in this tune are what makes it quite bittersweet.”

With romantically cute yet cuttingly smart lyrics, Bandit exhibits influences of Sheffield rock outfit Arctic Monkeys within the track, especially as Waters sings “I want to be by the seaside with you/ I’d even take Blackpool.” There’s no hiding from the Britpop vibe to the track, but the super fun tune can instantly make you feel youthful, and musically, take you on a wild ride. They even managed to work in the nostalgic phrase “I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream”.

Heading in the right direction by continuing to showcase such talent, ‘Ice Cream’ is Bandit’s best work to date. It is a soundtrack to the joyous abandon of love, low-budget dates, and the classic British summertime, and who doesn’t love all the memories made on those types of occasions.

Words: Shannon Garner