“First Balloon to Nice” by Moose

The bands that emerged from the UK indie/alternative scene in the ’80s and ’90s had all sorts of evocative and intriguing names. Slowdive. Catherine Wheel. Kitchens of Distinction. The Stone Roses. The House of Love. And then there was Moose. Now, I don’t know if that name choice had anything to do with it, but I’ve always felt that Moose — which formed in London in 1990 — flew under the radar during their decade-long existence. Which is a shame because the band certainly knew how to write earworms.

For proof of that, look no further than “First Balloon to Nice,” which appeared on 1995’s Live a Little Love a Lot (Play It Again Sam Records). The song is just about as breezy as they come, thanks to Andrew Blick’s trumpet and K.J. McKillop’s string arrangements (both of which are reminiscent of Eric Matthews’ Sub Pop albums). Moose pack a lot into the song’s sub-three-minute runtime, but it never feels overstuffed or top-heavy.

Although Moose might’ve flown under the general public’s radar, they still occupied a pretty sweet spot in the scene. For example, they became close friends with Cocteau Twins. Elizabeth Fraser lent her voice to Live a Little Love a Lot’s opening track, “Play God,” while Moose bassist Lincoln Fong would become the Twins’ live sound engineer and help them build their studio. Lincoln’s brother, Russell — who played guitar on Moose’s 1992 album, …XYZ — would also collaborate with the Twins, and build some of the guitars and 5-string basses that Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde played on tour.