When I was thinking about making October a 31 Reviews in 31 Days affair, I thought it would be a big commitment and it has been. I didn't want it to be here's a Pop Rock album and here's another. As well as providing variety, I also hoped to be reinvigorated by the things that I reviewed and that amongst the unearthed treasures, I desperately wanted to see the UK Music scene get out of the doldrums and become something like Brooklyn is at the moment.
All of these things haven't been achieved thus far, but there have been some cracking albums through the month and now here are a UK trio to add further delight. Shonk is a wonderful fuzz laden DIY album, very Pavement like.
Wicketkeeper are a trio consisting of brothers Simon and Alex Morley joined by Ryan Oxley. This is wonderful basement noise. Don't expect kitchen sink production or too many choruses, the album has more in common with a punk ethic.
But the band can also surprise you. There's a killer pop riff and killer bass on the superb, Modest Breakfast and Bodies is UK jaunty UK New Wave. Welcome is another joyous romp and OK is very Glasgow C86.
Spin is like The Jesus And Mary Chain doing a Teenage Fanclub cover and I Can't Believe has a fuzzed up riff that just grips you. Although Shonk is really hypnotic stuff, there is far more thought gone into these songs than you'd imagine at first.
Comparisons will be made with Guided By Voices, simply because of the way this album is recorded. Wicketkeeper are far more earthy than that, much more street. I can imagine gigs having the same effect as Dr Feelgood had in the second half of the 70's. This isn't singalong fayre, but it is a great album.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
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