SPLOCO's “Mary Wanna Cigarette” defies anything you thought you knew about the state of indie rock

Not much is known of yacht-rock quartet SPLOCO. They've been lauded by the likes of other artists such as Khruangbin and Alex Rice of Sports Team for their weird and wonderful vibes, and Señor Al Funklinos, the renowned South East London producer of King Krule and Ghostpoet, recorded “Mary Wanna Cigarette”.

At face value, these four lads come off as wildly outrageous and spunky in their disposition, but their 2016 self-titled debut EP proved otherwise by occupying richer qualities than all just fun and games. After releasing a four-track EP entitled Live At Henry’s in 2018, the elusive group has resurfaced with “Mary Wanna Cigarette,” the first single from their upcoming sophomore EP.

Raucous but dreamy and humorous yet insightful, this latest exertion is bursting with irrefutable joy and charm at every sharp turn. The eccentric music video SPLOCO has delivered beside their single is pure British from start-to-end. Silly and offbeat, the video is eye-catching as it treks through a kaleidoscope of images and colours.

“Mary Wanna Cigarette” is a 70s-styled patchwork of a tune, weaving together an anecdote of romantic pining with wit and absurdity. Reeling through melodic guitar chords, easy-going vocals, and psychedelic-pop bass lines, the track is an enchanting experience as both a song and attention-grabbing music video.

“It’s about the transition from a summer's evening playing frisbee in the park with your closest mates to watching the sun rise the next morning after the night has a got a little hazy,” says frontman 'Koach Mike'. “It's about all the emotions of a hot sweaty night in the living room of someone's flat, getting a little bit worse for wear and then coming back to your senses as day break arrives."