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Ear to the Ground: Extra Classic's "A Little Rain"

This sneak peek at the indie quintet's upcoming album seamlessly melds Blondie, dream pop, and dub bass sensibilities.

There are roots/dub purists who believe that a restraining order should be issued between the words “white” and “reggae.” But that kind of dismissive opinion is usually reserved for trustafarian college kids experimenting with individuality. Indie-dub quintet Extra Classic comprises five young people with a shared passion for vintage Studio One dub and classic Trojan label rocksteady.

That’s not to say their critically acclaimed 2011 debut was limited to such purism. Your Light Like White Lightning, Your Light Like A Laser Beam owes just as much to the post-shoegaze eeriness of Hope Sandoval’s solo projects with the Warm Inventions as it does to ’70s lovers rock like Louisa Mark’s cover of Bobby Parker’s “Caught You in a Lie.”

And with “A Little Rain,” the newly leaked single from 2014’s Showcase, Extra Classic set the scene for their sophomore album with equal parts indie pop and roots rock. Adrianne Verhoeven croons like “Rapture”-era Blondie alongside Alex deLanda’s sprawling bass lines. Not since Slowdive’s 1993 single “Souvlaki Space Station” has dub bass and dream-pop melded so perfectly. Guitarist Josh Miller’s usual penchant for contrasting such mellow vibes with a post-punk angularity similar to the Slits’ Adele Wilson takes a detour here to deliver a warm, resonating, and rhythmic bounce. extraclassic.blogspot.com