Think About That: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Railcard (Dolly Mixture, Swansea Sound, Heavenly)
Rachel Love of the legendary Dolly Mixture continues to make great music in 2026. The kind of indie she perfected earlier is still in favor, and her new band-mates know very well how to imbue that sort of music with real currency. Railcard by Railcard is then one of the most welcomed offerings in a month overflowing with new releases.
Railcard, a new group with Dolly Mixture's Rachel Love along with Ian Button (Papernut Cambridge, The Penrose Web, Swansea Sound) and Peter Momtchiloff (Heavenly, The Would-Be-Goods), with Allison Thomson on trumpet, are here with their debut album, to be released this Friday. A collection of EP releases, Railcard is one of the most engaging records you'll hear this week. That shouldn't be surprising given who is involved here, but it's worth repeating anyway.
Opener "Narcissus" is determined and layered, the vocal interplay keeping this one moving forward as the beat anchors the track. "Think About That" (a David Livingstone cover) and "Day Dream" are lighter, but no less considered. This material is deceptively airy, with Rachel's lovely vocals giving things here a sweetness sometimes at odds with the sharply observed lyrics. The modest punch of "Born in '62" is answered by the ravishing charm of "Cherry Plum", one of the real highlights of this record, for example. And so it goes throughout.
That juxtaposition between the precision of the arrangements and Rachel's soprano is what gives this album so much to recommend. It's not so much jangle-pop as it is chamber rock, with deceptively delicate tunes couched in very precise settings. Fans of Dolly Mixture will, of course, love this, but so will those who've listened to any of the countless indie acts in the years since who've name-checked Dolly Mixture as a big influence.
Railcard by Railcard is out on February 6 via Skep Wax. Details via Bandcamp. In the US, this Railcard record will be on Slumberland Records.
[Photo: Skep Wax]