No Cigar is the type of band your mum would probably approve of you both seeing and joining. They’re successful, listenable, relatable and their music could be enjoyed at a BBQ, a gym, in a soundtrack and, believe it or not, a rock concert also. They attain a special and impressive mix of surf, indie, psychedelia and pop, but there’s a little bite and edge to the smoothness to be enjoyed like salt in the caramel. The band is characterized by the sometimes-strong, sometimes-fragile vocals of Willy Ferrier, whose distinctive pipes sound remarkably similar to Caleb Followill in the way they can crack emotionally, smoothly roll up to notes and glide effortlessly in a clear falsetto above the instruments below. Songs tend to bloom rather than gallop or wallop (but they do occasionally swagger) largely due to the heavenly guitars drenched in reverb performed brilliantly by Josh Morrice and Arthur Gillies. The bass and drums, played by Sam Benson and Ned Gow respectively, are largely in a supportive and clandestine role throughout the record, but there are spaces and gaps for the whole band to flex their muscles and sparkle as other elements simply fade into the surfy reverb or come to an abrupt stop to add tension, creating an accent from their withdrawal from the dance and create a sudden drop-off where, more often than not, the voice becomes the sole instrument for one tender moment before the band joyously return. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.