A Dave Cope And The Sass album is always something to look forward to and it is wonderful to see more people celebrating what they do. Cope first came into my orbit at the start of 2010s, but it was 2014's Davey Cope And The English Breakfast that really made a siren sound loudly in my ears.
I Don't Hear A Single only began in the middle of 2016 and so it was well on the way to being established when the self titled Dave Cope And The Sass album was released and what a debut it is. Since then no Genre has been safe. From Folk to Psych and everything in-between.
The base is somewhere between Classic Rock and 70s Pop Rock, but that doesn't tell half the story, Cope has been well covered here and the albums have constantly bothered the IDHAS Best Albums Of The Year has I have no doubt that this one will.
I was also delighted to preview One Hell Of A Ride and this is one of the highlights here, but in no way the only one. There is a splendid manner in the way songs change directions.Take for instance Crooked Picture which takes in comparisons to Pugwash, Marmalade and 60s UK Beat in under 3 minutes.
I Wish I Had A Garden edges towards Prog and yet Precious Heart is all Jangle and yet could be played at an Austin Powers party. Next To Nothing is top notch Power Pop, but All Alright is an ace Anthem, the sort that Cope comes up with at will.
Where Have I Been All My Life is a real Singer Songwriter Troubadour sort of thing and The Soldier is all eastern sounding tableau, a really special arrangement. Just A Dream I Had Of Lizzie is gentle and Acoustic, almost Folk, but also has an exceptional Baroque arrangement.
The album is dedicated to Cope's brother, Ian, and West Of The Setting Sun is a marvellous tribute. Suitably melancholic, but heartbreaking wrenching with an almost Country feel at times, but maybe more of a Desert Ballad. It is incredibly atmospheric.
But if you really want to know what Cope is about in one song, then the title track is the one to begin with. Harmonic Pop Rock of the highest order, but also gets both a little 60s and 80s with a Jangle bursting to get out.
I know, people say it all the time for every album release, but this really is Dave Cope And The Sass at their very best. 12 songs without a duffer. Come on world! Cope has been here all the time, where've you been? An album to be listened to from start to finish and then put on again.
You can listen to and buy the album here. The CD is available at Kool Kat here.
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