Song of the Day: Big Deal - In Your Car

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, selected by Morning Show host John Richards, is “In Your Care” by Big Deal from the 2013 album June Gloom on Mute.

Big Deal - In Your Car (MP3)

Formed in late 2011 by guitarist/vocalists Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe, Big Deal's intimate vocal chemistry is amplified by fuzzy, melodic hooks. Like another London-based group, the duo have been pegged as a "couple band" with their vaguely romantic lyrics and onstage interactions, but also like the xx, they're not a couple; rather, the older, American Underwood and (11 years) younger, British Costelloe explore their own distinct takes on interpersonal relationships through their distinct but harmonious performances. The group's first album, the sparse Lights Out, was primarily performed by the duo in a guitars-and-vocals format, but their second release, this month's June Gloom, adds a full band into the mix, resulting in an updated take on the anthemic moodiness of Wish-era the Cure. "In Your Car", the album's first single and first outing for the quartet version of the group, is a catchy, pop-sensible tune that shows that the band is naturally growing into their larger sound. Opening with a "Just What I Needed" stop-start rush, the song quickly progresses into a punchier, more explosive tune filled with boy-girl emotional resonance not unlike The Jesus and Mary Chain's "Sometimes Always". "Driving in your car/I wanna be wherever you are/asleep in the backseat/there's nothing more that I'll ever need", sing the duo in the song's bittersweet chorus. Big Deal formed in London at a time where earnestness and acoustic guitars were in style, but as "In Your Car" shows, Big Deal is making a good case for putting down the mandolin in favor of the fuzz pedal.

Big Deal will finish out the month with some shows in England, but it's possible they'll be heading to North America in the fall, so keep an eye on their Facebook and website for any news on tour dates. Below, watch the Danny Perez-directed video for "In Your Car", which features the band, a car, and some freaky teddy bear people.