After three albums released in fairly quick succession (a self-titled debut in 2012, ‘Familiar Ache’ in 2013 and 2014’s ‘North Of Nowhere’), ‘What Are You Waiting For?’ makes for a charmingly tongue in cheek title to The Response ’s latest 6-track EP.

Christchurch alt pop duo Andrew and Victoria Knopp have tightened their sound into something more refined and consistent than their earlier work which was sometimes a little extreme in its tonal shifts from track to track. (A two year stay in Vancouver helping to explain the gap since that release flurry.)

Mellow – but not twee – indie pop at its carefully crafted best, each song integrates catchy riffs, handily executed synth and drum machine and a suitable amount of tambourine (not so much as to take the sound into jangle territory).

The shared vox duties layer beautifully around one another, adding depth and harmony without ever becoming too much. Obvious might be the stand-out song, with just the right textural swell and build and some glock-y goodness.

The EP’s titular track is another high point, with a pleasantly murky bass line that kicks things off, quickly adorned by high octave twinkles. There’s a real early Vampire Weekend vibe to this song in particular, something I catch threads of across other tracks too.

‘What Are You Waiting For?’ captures a sound that is fresh while conjuring up memories of that heyday of indie pop rock of the mid-late 2000s that we seem to be nostalgia-lising right now. A title that requires the answer: more kickass sounds from The Response!