I first caught up with Thomas Walsh in those hazy Anything Should Happen days and it was more as fans of The Move and boy were we obsessive about all things Wood, Lynne and The Move. He introduced me to Pugwash and I was absolutely hooked.
I'm at an age where at times it's easier to stay in than go out, but I always ventured out for Pugwash, a great live band who welcomed all with bonhomie and large amounts of wit. I'd lost touch with Thomas a bit since, all my fault as I Don't Hear A Single became so all encompassing.
So it is wonderful to hear the first album under his own name. As you would expect, The Rest Is History is chocka with melodic Pop Rock, it is what the man is best at, but the mastery here is that Walsh has not lost what he excels at, but added some really interesting diversions.
Hooking up with Brent Rademaker's Curation Records has been a marriage made in heaven. This really does seem to be the year of Curation, quality follows quality. Plus seeing Michael Penn guesting on the fab Jangle Pop of Take Your Time, we really do need another album from Mr Penn.
Everyone Back In The Water is probably the standout, a cracking mix of Psych Pop and Glam Rock, it is a corking listen. On Born Of Kamchatka, you can imagine the song being played on Hawaiian Beach and Walsh manages to mix an Orbison like vocal on the verse to a Beach Boys chorus.
There's a real George Harrison feel to Man Lies Down Again which adds an ace Neil Hannon Guitar solo. Witchcraft and Tribal are words that you could use to describe This Is My Fortress, a real outlier that works wonderfully as a marked departure from all this great Pop.
A Good Day For Me is the biggest reminder of the old Pugwash days and has a chorus that is unreservedly Jeff Lynne And the closing We Knew is a real lighters out Orchestral Abbey Road special, a magnificent close to a really special album.
You can listen to the album and buy it on Vinyl, CD or as a download here.
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