reviews:

Not to be confused with the Hermit Crabs from the late '80s, this band was formed a few years back by members of California Snow Story (who we're excited to hear has a comeback on the horizon!). With more than a few ties to hometown friends, Camera Obscura, it's no surprise that the bands share a similar sound of soft-spoken pop songs, right down to Melanie's voice and lyrics. I also hear a resemblance to their labelmates, Math And Physics Club, in the music (particularly their use of violin). Another fine new signing for the label!  --IndiePages

Listening to this EP faced me with the difficult task of trying to suppress four years of blind worship to the Alter of Ms Tracey-Anne Campbell. Let’s face it, comparisons are lazy and unfair, but soft female vocals lulled over some mid-tempo Glaswegian twee inevitably meant any mention of The Hermit Crabs was always going to be quickly followed by one of ‘Camera Obscura’. But that aside, the Feel Good Factor EP does try to delve beneath obvious influences carving out a more individual sound for itself. Apart from ‘Feel Good Factor’ which not only creates the most disgustingly farfetched and wholly untruthful picture of Glasgow (“I wanna see those faces the glorious sight/oh the glorious people of Sauchiehall Street”), but easily sounds the most like CO. The rest of the tracks have the stamp of the ‘Crabs own personality; an essence of an overbearing glumness in Melanie Whittle’s vocals; a delicate sadness, but one which is counteracted by pretty harmonies, a gentle piano piece, sweet recorders or a wavering violin. Their personality is probably best expressed in ‘I Spend My Time’, which falls in-between an upbeat light twee and an eerie discord, and as the last track on the EP definitely shows they’ve got legs of their own to carry on with, or at least pincers…  --Is This Music?

Can pop be as cute as this? I just love it when singers allow themselves small "cha-cha-cha's" or "ai-ai-ai's", like they do here. The Glasgow folk-tinged indiepop-band The Hermit Crabs has just released their brilliant debut "feel good factor EP" on Matinée Recordings, and this really is music with a high feel good factor. The band was started in 2003 by Melanie Whittle (guitars, vocals) and Des McKenna (bass), when their old band California Snow Story were put on hold (we posted about CSS in another eardrums-post recently). John Ferguson (lead guitar), Ali King (violin, keyboards and percussion) and Tony McDonald (drums) complete the line-up. Their sound is not too different from Melanie and Des' old band, and bands like Camera Obscura, early Belle and Sebastian and maybe even The Go-Betweens can also be used as references for their sound. Their EP is filled with four lovely songs, and it's hard to pick stand-outs here. All of them are cute popsongs with lyrics worth listening to. The Hermit Crabs are currently working on their debut album, planned for release this spring. Some of the tracks on the album are produced by Teenage Fanclub's Francis McDonald. The Hermit Crabs is definitely a band to watch in 2007.  --Eardrums

In this over-saturated world where everyone with a record collection and a cheap home-recording setup can make a shot at becoming a minor-league indie-rock sensation, it's all about gimmicks. There are thousands of other bands out there vying for a slim slice of audience attention, and if you don't establish yourself in a minute, you'll lose 85 percent of listeners. It's about flash, gimmicks and reeling listeners in right off the bat. Glasgow's Hermit Crabs offer a return to the sacred art of simple songwriting. The band's debut EP captures four cuts of sure-and-simple pop that doesn't need to charm its way into our ears with clever allusions to its predecessors, finely tuned guitar tones or any one of a dozen or so other pretenses picked up in an art-school cafeteria. Sure, it might cost The Hermit Crabs a few listeners right off the bat, but it's sure to make up for it where it counts: fans of pure, uncut pop. Built around the title track, a winner in Scotland's Burnsong songwriting competition, this EP's a carefully constructed balance between straightforward pop and cleverly layered instrumentation. " Feel Good Factor" centers on singer/guitarist Melanie Whittle's simple vocals, which are rich with melody without overpowering the rest of the track. A bubbly, elastic bass line ties together a jangly guitar and keyboards for a package that's strangely suited to rainy-day bedroom moping or a sunshine-filled afternoon in the park. "Vegan Vows" is a more economical arrangement, with brittle acoustic strumming and piano melodies ushering the band through a tale of twentysomething heartbreak that skirt melodrama to embrace the everyday bummers of early adulthood. "I Spend My Time" and "China Girl" round out the effort with light, breezy jangle-pop. Despite -- or probably because of -- The Hermit Crabs' low-key approach to songwriting, Feel Good Factor delivers an enjoyable romp through pure pop. At the end of the day, when the gimmicks wear out, novelties are packed away and songwriters' tricks go flaccid, that's all that matters isn't it? Keep an eye on The Hermit Crabs -- given a little more time to percolate with its full-length Scotland might have another minor sensation brewing.  --Aversion.com

Medium cool is a perfect description of what indie has come to mean. There's a quote by Steven Wells from NME on a Love Parade flexi that reads "I can honestly say I've never even heard of The Love Parade". That's hilarious! I doubt they've heard of The Hermit Crabs either. Who cares? Here's a conversation I overheard: “So there's a new band on Matinée huh? Aye, they're called The Hermit Crabs...but they're actually quite a friendly bunch. Are they any good? Do you have to ask? It's Matinée man... Have they been in the NME? No, they play guitars and sing songs about you and me... They're not That Kind of Band. Do they use pedals? No. But they might in the future, if they can find instructions on how to use them on the web. So they're not 'cool' then? Medium cool. They're more, like... important. The good thing about having a Matinée band in your city is that you can actually see them live every other month. I did. At Brel yesterday. They were really good, had a full band and all. You should see them too, I think they're playing at the RAFA club in April.” I couldn't agree more.  --The Rain Fell Down

The Hermit Crabs is a Glasgow band that plays whispery, loving twee-pop. Its lyrics are small-scale and full of whimsy and regret coupled with a wistful hopefulness. The musicians look for clothes “at the charity bin”; they sing odes to “my china girl” (I think this means a figurine rather than a woman from Asia); they worry that their unrequited crushes will come to a depressing fruition. They “spend my time, filling my head with silly things / Wonderful whirligigs / You pass me by / Move on to other things / In your absent meanderings”; and they do it all to the finely-drawn sweetness of a cello and Melanie Whittle’s plaintive, husky voice. These are songs for a thousand university residences and share houses. The ‘Crabs has a full-length album coming out later this year and I’m already looking forward to it.  --PopMatters

You’d be forgiven for expecting a Dymaxion style spy thriller two minutes of mayhem upon hearing the opening bass line. Instead we get that same feeling as we did back when we missed Belle and Sebastian so much and felt they had disowned their sound and a little 7” single called 80’s Fan fell onto out turntables and so we fell in love with Camera Obscura the way you can sometimes, instantly forgetting what you’d at one point felt you couldn’t live without. And so I’ve long since lost interest in Camera Obscura more out of a desire to discover new bands than that I feel they are rubbish. And here we are reminded of how brilliant they first were by the little known The Hermit Crabs, it could be a Camera Obscura song but since when was that a bad thing? ‘Feel Good Factor’ does everything you’d hope it would, the kind of upbeat song that’ll have you clapping your hands and skipping round your room like you’ve just got your hands on a copy of Tigermilk’s original vinyl pressing. Along with the recent The Pines reissue this is essential listening.  --I’d Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused

Have you heard the new Hermit Crabs single on Matinée records? First time I gave it a spin I thought I had put the wrong disc in the slot. ‘Hang on,’ I said to myself, ‘this is Camera Obscura’. And I was right. Because really, all four cuts on the Feel Good Factor EP carry not just the patina of Camera Obscura, but also the very fibre of their being. And in case you are wondering, that’s not a criticism. Not at all. Every great artist has copied ones who have gone before. Why, didn’t we all make comments about Belle And Sebastian when ‘Eighties Fan’ first graced our stereos? And did we care? Did we refuse to clutch the then fledgling Obscura to our twee collective hearts? Did we buggery. We danced and we sang. We shot fireworks in the sky and we scratched their name in love hearts on our pencil cases. And so it should be with The Hermit Crabs. Four songs of sweet succinct Pop that snaps and crackles in all the right places. A recorder tweets and a tambourine shuffles. Guitars tingle and a voice sings about being making vegan vows, china girls, wonderful whirligigs and the glorious people of Sauchiehall Street. Make space on your pencil case.  --Tangents

The Hermit Crabs are a Scottish based band who boast two ex members of California Snow Story amongst their ranks. The Feel Good Factor EP is their début release although after listening to the EP you may get the impression that you have heard it before as it is a pretty similar output to California Snow Story and fellow Scots Camera Obscura whose history is entwined with both bands. You can guess that the band sound like after that description but that said it is a pretty impressive EP with four pretty strong songs. It is the self titled lead track, which won an award during the Scottish Burnsong writing competition, that takes the glory. It is a story about Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street which is also a popular night time destination. The song compares night and day on said street as well as the songwriter's love of their home city. It's a lovely song and the unique Scottish take on indie folk complete with gentle female vocals & traditional instruments seeps through the track as well as taking hold on the rest of the EP. Lovely! The Feel Good Factor EP is out on Matinée Recordings shortly limited to a 1000 copies. The band are working on their début album which is due for release later this year.  --indiemp3.co.uk

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so The Hermit Crabs might sound pretty much similar to Camera Obscura. But, so what? There aren’t many better bands to sound like, after all. ‘Feel Good Factor’ is a lovely little ditty, seemingly dedicated to the good people of Sauchiehall Street in that there Glasgow. It’s almost a polka, or a waltz, or something. It’s a bit continental in parts, anyway. And it’s a thousand times better than anything Belle and Sebastian have done in the last four or five years.  --Tasty

It’s probably not fair to compare other bands to Camera Obscura, especially not if they not only musically come from the same melting pot. But what if I say I don’t mean it in any bad way? At least in the case of The Hermit Crabs it is meant as a big compliment. They released a four song EP on Matinée in November –and, apparently, a full length will follow this spring– and it might come closest to the aforementioned smallness. ‘I read your books, I liked your style. Maybe we could hang out for a little while.’ That should say enough.  --Think Small

It’s early spring, a Saturday afternoon, light breeze with enough of winter left so you need a modest sweater: birds singing but muted, thawing; kids down the block, playing; a lone dog way off, more an echo than a bark. The sun is sloughing off February and March. What you think and how you feel—these are what you get with Hermit Crabs in their debut, Feel Good Factor. Like their musical home-town neighbors, and significant influence, Camera Obscura, Hermit Crabs touch you initially through guile, but hold on to you with a combination of solid musicianship, chemistry, and the insouciance of lead singer Melanie Whittle. Don’t expect any messages—this is soft-core passion and whimsy, after all---from Glasgow’s latest band-to-be-heard. Irony, yes. The four-member Hermit Crabs, as with most good indie-pop bands, require, in order to “work,” a lead vocalist who can “do” subtle, wry, and, especially, ironic in a single phrase. (The last of these, irony, is a necessary requirement for good, light-hearted pop music.) Whittle has no problem here. Her voice, loaded with charm, has about it a kind of lilting, sing-song quality, which is what you’d expect in this genre; Whittle pulls it all off with more confidence than anyone I’ve heard in a while. This sound, when it’s good, as it almost always is in Camera Obscura’s work, for example, requires vocals that express a put-upon exuberance and, when necessary, a finely drawn sarcasm. Again, no problem for Whittle at all. . From the very beginning of the opening, title track, you’re pretty sure you’re coming back. Then, midway into the tune, Whittle interjects an improvisational “cha, cha, cha;” later, an “ai, yi, yi”. It’s sneaky, beguiling: the girl’s got it going, no doubt. Though less acerbic (in a highly relative way) than Camera Obscura, Hermit Crabs’ music has the hooks and flow not only to reach out to you, but also to caress you. Three other songs complete Feel Good Factor. Of these, “Vegan Vows,” is the best. It’s whimsy and froth. It’s familiar, but off beat enough to hold you: kinda like what you feel on certain Saturdays in early spring. I believe this band plans an LP later this year. It’s something to be anticipated.  --CDReviews.com

Four track debut single from the Glasgow quartet. ‘Feel Good Factor’, a mild but impish twee strum that skips, grazes it knees before the violin comes along to dab with TCP. There’s a touch of Juliana Hatfield and Kristen Hersch in Melanie Whittle’s temperate voice, while they share a clear bond of ambition with Camera Obscura. ‘Vegan Vows’ is possibly their finest work here, a subtle melody and a Neulander-esque vocal phrasing that creeps in and enthralls.  --Vanity Project

When asked, The Hermit Crabs, a sunny pop group from Glasgow, was kind enough to send me two songs. I had a hard time choosing which one to post. But ultimately, while I think you should stream their fiddlin', cowbellin' Scotland-by-way-of-San-Antone "Bad Timing" (and then buy their EP), "Feel Good Factor" seems to best breathe the essence of the band. After all, it offers a warm tribute to their hometown's Sauchiehall Street, and a cloudless view of singer Melanie Whittle's crystalline voice. You might be reminded of Camera Obscura's Tracyeanne Campbell. Because I remember the early 90s, I think of Velocity Girl's Sarah Shannon. Whatever the point of comparison, it's a quality -- a certain pitch, timber and inflection -- sometimes found in women fronting retro-ish indie-pop bands. And one that I've always privately thought of as a thrift shop voice: simple as a geometric-print A-line dress, bright and uncomplicated as Fiestaware, grin-inducing as a rare first edition (dustjacket pristine, naturally) discovered in a box of junk. Charmingly old-fashioned, of course. Whittle conveniently literalizes my invented thrift shop idiom when she sings, Gonna be a renegade shopper /Gonna get my clothes from the charity bin and the band unclutters her path with a clip of drum, jaunt of bass, scrape of violin. Cha cha cha, aye aye aye.  --Shake Your Fist

The Hermit Crabs release their debut EP on the highly regarded, American indiepop label, Matinée Recordings. Some beautiful, laid back and simple songs from only the second Scottish band to sign for the label.  --Nemis

The four songs on the Hermit Crabs' debut EP are classic Scottish indie pop, from the gently strummed acoustic guitars and restrained drums down to the fragile vocal harmonies and sweetly sung melodies.  --All Music Guide

Matinée Recordings is a kind of sanctuary for endangered indiepop / twee artists from late eighties to late nineties, but sometimes one new band joins the family, it was the case for Math and Physics Club, now this is the turn of The Hermit Crabs, from Glasgow, Scotland, with this 4-track EP soon to be followed by a full-length. Formed January 2003, The Hermit Crabs are Melanie Whittle (songwriting, guitar, keyboards and vocals), John Ferguson (lead guitar), Des McKenna (bass) and Tony McDonald (drums). Recently, Francis MacDonald from Teenage Fanclub helps out with production. The four songs offered here are classic indiepop tunes under the influence of bands like Camera Obscura or Belle & Sebastian.  --Derives

This wonderful debut EP on Matinée is carressing our eardrums [for] several weeks now and is really sounding like early Camera Obscura. Album out in spring 2007.  --Pop 'N Cherries

Das der Frühling jetzt in den nächsten Jahren und Jahrhunderten wohl immer früher kommen oder gar in ständiger Präsenz in hiesigen Breitengraden verweilen wird, das läßt sich wohl nur schwerlich noch aufhalten, der derzeit in aller Munde befindlichen und von uns allen wohl geförderten Klimakatastrophe sei dank. Vielleicht kriegt die Menschheit ja noch die Kurve. In diesem Jahr allerdings kann ich den Frühling kaum erwarten seit ich zum ersten mal die zum letzten Jahresende erschienende Debut EP der Schottischen Band The Hermit Crabs gehört habe. In diesem Frühling nämlich folgt ihr erstes Album. Melanie Whittle ist mein Stern dieser Tage, wenn ich durch die Straßen schlendere oder gedankenverloren durch die Lüfte spazieren fliege. Seit der Bandgründung Anfang 2003 war sie das einzige permanente Mitglied der Hermit Crabs, wenngleich ihr der Bassist Des McKenna die meiste Zeit und immer wieder zur Seite stand und mit ihr auch vor vier Jahren die ersten Auftritte zusammen mit Camera Obscura absolvierte. Ihre erste gemeinsame Band California Snow Story hatte sich zuvor eher unfreiwillig aufgelöst. Überhaupt Camera Obscura: Die Nähe und Verbundenheit ist nicht zu überhören. Die gemeinsame Heimatstadt Glasgow, der Gedanke an Belle & Sebastian und der gleiche Sinn für die feine, leise Art der folkinspirierten Popmusik finden sich in den Melodien beider Bands wieder. Und so wie vielleicht „Eigthies fan“ für Camera Obscura könnte der Song „China girl“ für lange Zeit der Song für The Hermit Crabs sein. Eine (leider endliche) liebevolle Kooperation aus Folk und Pop. An Schönheit und Anmut zumindest stehen die bislang noch wenigen Songs der Schotten denen von Tracyanne Campbell und Co in nichts nach. Mit dem Titelsong ihrer „Feel good factor“ EP gehörte die Band, die Ende 2004 durch den Gitarristen John Ferguson und im Sommer 2006 durch den Drummer Tony McDonald komplettiert wurde, vor eineinhalb Jahren zu den Preisträgern eines Song-Writing-Wettbewerbs. Ein schmuckvoller, kurzer und in funkelnder Einfachheit gehaltener Song, aus dessen umschlingenden Umarmungen es jedoch spätestens nach dem zweiten, dritten Hören kaum noch ein Entkommen gibt. Der Stimme von Melanie Whittle erliegt man dabei, eieiei, nur zu gerne. Violinen, ein sanftes Schlagzeug und klare, vorwärtsziehende Lyrics bestimmen auch die drei anderen Songs der Debut EP. Inzwischen arbeiten die vier Einsiedlerkrabben an dem ersten richtigen Album, dass wie die besagte EP beim feinen amerikanischen matinée Label erscheinen wird. Einmal mehr kann sich matinée recordings sicher sein eine wirkliche kleine Popperle in den eigenen Reihen zu haben. Aber da sind The Hermit Crabs ja eh in der besten Gesellschaft von Tender Trap, Math and the Physics Club, Lovejoy und dergleichen mehr. I spend my time with The Hermit Crabs. Für eine Weile zumindest meine Lieblingstiere, ganz sicher. Take a sip of suave pop.—  --Elisabett.de

Oltros que vienen empujando desde Glasgow, con un EP previo al álbum, Melanie y Des son los jefes y ya tienen curriculo. La canción que le da nombre es tan arrebatadora que incluso viene con premio incorporado. Ojo también a una ‘China Girl’ que no es la de Bowie.  --Calle 20

Jag hinner bara lyssna på Feel Good Factor några sekunder innan tanken slår mig att det här låter precis som Camera Obscuras Keep It Clean. Mycket riktigt visar det sig att Hermit Crabs också bor i Glasgow och på bandits hemsida finner man en länk vidare till Camera Obscura. Hermit Crabs släpper sitt debutalbum nu i vår och då får vi veta om bandet klarar av att stå på egna ben.  --Below The Stars

Principio di conservazione indiepop: nulla si crea e nulla si distrugge, tutto si trasforma. Gli Hermit Crabs (che traduce in I Paguri, ma non facciamogliene una colpa) a prima vista possono apparire come l'ultimo e meglio riuscito tentativo di clonazione dei Camera Obscura, mentre in realtà nascondono al loro interno la metà esatta dei California Snow Story, titolari di un bell'EP per Shelflife ben quattro anni or sono e da poco ritornati in attività. E' da lì che provengono la graziosissima voce di Melanie Whittle (che nei CSS stava dietro i tamburi) e il basso di Des McKenna, impegnati a dare corpo alla prima grande canzone del 2007: "Feel Good Factor" è ritmica quadrata, voce gentilmente pigra a mezza via tra cantilena ed indolenza, un violino acuto e quella nebbiolina che si insinua strisciante tra il buonumore del titolo, e assomigliando parecchio alle ultime cose di Tracyanne Campbell e soci è davvero difficile fare a meno di cantarla in ogni istante. Identici elementi tornano in combinazioni appena meno brillanti a visitare gli altri tre pezzi del disco, con leggere variazioni malinconiche che aumentano tra la pioggia di "China Girl" e si assottigliano in mezzo alle note di piano della vivace - beh, per modo di dire - "Vegan vows".  --Indiepop.it