Captain Wilberforce - Black Sky Thinking

Leeds's Captain Wilberforce are another band that should be far far bigger than they are. There are so many Neil Finn and Crowded House fans around and you wonder why they are not also buying Captain Wilberforce too.

It's been six years since the magnificent Ghost Written Confessions and for album Number Four, Black Sky Thinking, Simon Bristoll has lost none of his songwriting excellence. The album is a perfect example of how great Pop should be made.





There seems a little more of a mellow feel on songs like Couples and You Can't Have Me which ramp up the Finn comparisons, there's a particularly great piano accompaniment on the latter. King Of Decision is McCartney Beatles Pop of the highest order.


There are hints of Psych Pop too, especially on the opener, the splendid, The Johnny Depp Memorial Cafe. Stickleback Toffee could be a soundtrack to those old Saturday Morning Cartoons. The Closing title track is pure psych and reveals a side of the band that I love, pre 60's Strawberry Psych.





Black Sky Thinking sounds much more like a band album than previous albums which you sense have been Simon Bristoll and others. The 12 songs make up a proper album, none of this download one song rubbish.

If there is any justice in the world, this album will be massive. The support of Kool Kat in the States should assist this. This is one of the most pleasant listens that I've had in a long while. I expected nothing less.




The fantastic news is that for a limited period, the album is available as a Name Your Price on Bandcamp here. You have no excuse but to head over there now.