Liu Bei is making anthemic indie pop with a boldness and a brilliance big enough to live inside. The London quintet has been building gradually in popularity over the past year, much like their particular brand of slow-burning pop. On their new single, “Goodness,” Liu Bei (named after a Chinese warlord) frontman Richard Walters gentle vocals take flight atop an unwavering ascension of thickly-layered shoegaze guitars. Tugging on the heartstrings from all sides, its emotional reach stems from the delicacy of the melody amplified through the cinematic lens of it’s sonic backdrop and the endearingly positive theme of the lyrics. “Goodness” is part of a three-track EP with the same title to be released this February (which will feature Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell on another track). To continue your Liu Bei experience for now, listen next to their expansive debut single from earlier in the year, “Infatuation.”
