Buster Shuffle

Some newcomers looking at Buster Shuffle’s promo photos and listening to the opening track of their new album Naked, may make an instant judgement. Flat caps, pork pie hats and Fred Perry’s, together with South’s annoying chirpy sub-Madness pop has a ring of hipster London contrivance about the whole thing, and some may decide a swim in the Thames when the tide is going out more appealing.

New Money continues in a similar vein though with a slightly darker hue, mainly down to the lyrics, which are never less than interesting, and one of the strengths of the album. The title track’s shuffling ska and punk is good fun but unconvincing, and so far it’s all a bit dispiriting We then come to Take Him Down where the band drop the cheek and chirp, and start to sound a little more serious, and that’s with a pub piano in the mix.

The jaw-aching I wrote This Song Because My Girlfriend Told Me I was Miserable, is a masterclass in song-writing. The band nails it; the vocals, melodies, harmonies and rhythms come together to create a multi-layered indie/pop tour de force.

Elsewhere, Believe It has an ELO thump to it, while the final song of the album the breezy Put Up, with its subtle use of synths, is oddly reminiscent of Wind and Wuthering era Genesis.

Of course Buster Shuffle have been around a while - this is their third album - so lumping them in with the Dalston/Shoreditch beardy-hipster set is probably unfair. All those years of hard touring has turned them into a razor sharp outfit, and the performances are excellent throughout. The album may jar occasionally, and feel a little lightweight at times but overall it is its variety that is its strength.