Big Potato Records (label)
29 January 2016 (released)
31 January 2016
There’s a complicated backstory to this album featuring many bands formed and disbanded, paths taken to nowhere in particular and ideas unformed. But it all started to germinate when Tom Butterworth and Nick Holton presumably decided that they needed to do something. The result is a very English set of songs albeit with a hint of Laurel Canyon and psychedelia.
There’s a Light is a low key haunting opener, sparse it allows Butterworth’s gentle semi-spoken vocals to ride on the guitars and keyboards. Still Not Right is on the poppier side, while It’s Not Just Killing is a darker hue and threatens to maul you but doesn’t quite follow through despite the guitar histrionics at the end.
Things do get meaner on Do You Feel Like Those Other Girls as they progressively change gears and eventually taking off on a psychedelic whirl. Highlight is the epic 9 minute Our Love which is also a plaintive slow-burner, opening up gradually with harmonies, picking up instruments, as it builds to a satisfying Hawkwindesque babble of voices, synths and possibly the kitchen sink. The album closes with the very jolly and pubby Speak, Whistle and Hope.
At times Ummagumma, came to mind. The albums share a very English eccentricity in execution if not that closely related musically. And like that album, it keeps the songs interesting and should guarantee it place on the listening list for a while.
