Unicorns and Rainbows and Happiness

If you have any friends looking for a completely non-confrontational and sub-par indie band to play their next rooftop party in Santa Monica, you’d be okay to suggest the band The Little Ones. Based in Los Angeles and having just released their sophomore full-length The Dawn Sang Along, these guys fit the bill pretty well with their easy-listening pop-with-a-hint-of-indie tunes.

Together since 2005, the band caught some traction in the indie scene once their EP and first full-length were released and have returned with a relatively short (eleven songs, thirty-eight minutes), bouncy new album that sounds like a slightly better version of an Adam Young/Owl City record. In fact, some songs on The Dawn Sang Along, such as “Catch The Movement” are so catchy that they can get annoying: “Our bodies catch the movement, catch the movement,” the lyrics repeat over and over again.

The band even managed to make their song “AWOL” cutesy. While generally referring to military personnel who have gone missing or who have deserted their posts, vocalist Edward Nolan Reyes tells us, “Don’t you fear, it’s just a way of life.”

The album’s longest song, the six-minute “Art In The Streets,” starts off by sounding like something the Brady Bunch family might listen to. The retro feel is shed somewhat with the help of a prominent guitar, but Ed Reyes’ vocals are too soft and sunny to make the Brady Bunch-feel go away completely.

The Dawn Sang Along might have a hard time sparking excitement if listened to without some other form of stimulation—such as that rooftop party or maybe some tequila. But you certainly couldn’t accuse them of not being joyful enough.