The Little Ones – Morning Tide (Chop Shop)

The debut album by Los Angeles-based indie pop band The Little Ones is chockfull of happy melodies and upbeat harmonies. The opening title track is a good example of the poppiness of the album, offering an infectious beat and catchy chorus. The lyrics about the morning tide rising and falling are both clever and poetic. “Ordinary Song” is lightly harmonized, with a sing-along chorus and chiming sounds that give it a happy, dreamlike feel.

“Boracay” is a fun romp that has a bouncy beat and happy vocals about playing on the beach. “All Your Modern Boxes” is another upbeat song that shows off the Little Ones’ talent for wordplay and clever lyrics. “Tangerine Visions” has a distinctive guitar and keyboard riff that hooks the listener to the lyrics about the warmth of the sun. “Gregory’s Chant” is a well harmonized song, where the chorus is made of sounds rather than actual words.

In “Everybody’s Up to Something,” the opening consists of pre-recorded sounds that build up to a keyboard-filled march, which keeps pace with a lot of “hey hey ah ahs.” Then the lyrics actually repeat the phrase “I heard the march of a million strong,” blending seamlessly over the “hey hey ah ahs.” “Waltz” is a keyboard-filled song that is less upbeat than the others, because its beats are more controlled and its lyrics are more thoughtful.

“Rise and Shine” returns to the familiar upbeat territory that the Little Ones tread so well. This is the perfect song to wake up to because it actually will get you moving and singing along to the ever catchy chorus about feeling the light. “Like a Spoke On a Wheel” is a slower song by the Little Ones’ standards, but it remains upbeat and happy with its repetitiously catchy chorus, which manages to change keys in a very nice way.

“Farm Song” closes the album with a slower pace than any of the other songs, as if the Little Ones are ready for a nap. It is appropriate for an album called “Morning Tide” to end on slower note, as the band sings “hold your young ones well” and “leaves begin to brown.” Overall, the Little Ones have managed to show a good range of songwriting and musical talent on their debut album. The lyrics are clever and well written and the songs are, for the most part, happy and upbeat. This is a great album for fans of such indie pop bands as Voxtrot.

If you want to hear the new material live, The Little Ones will perform at the Echo on Nov. 14 and theDetroit Bar on Nov. 15. Tickets for both shows are available now.