Indie rock outfit Friends Don’t Die and their two newly released singles were brought to my attention recently and they didn’t disappoint. In fact, I would say I was pleasantly surprised at how polished the songs were, as they’re the only two tracks that are publicly available.

With both “She’s a Headrush” and “Backwards,” the Los Angeles-based band strikes something of a beach rock chord in the vein of a Beach Fossils. With a haunting intro that opens to harmonized vocals that carry-on throughout the track, I found “Backwards” to be particularly catchy and attention grabbing. The vocals, between the backing track and the lead carry the day. They are passionate over a drum track that pushes the song forward along with melodic guitars that doesn’t get in the way.

“She’s a Headrush” allows the instrumentation to take more of a headlining position, with strong rhythmic guitars leading the way and drums that push the tempo. The final 45 seconds of the song are very emblematic of the genre; it is musical synergy, with backing vocals, guitar, and drums bringing the record to a strong close. Friends Don’t Die is defiantly a band to watch closely. We’re awaiting their next release with great anticipation.