Saturday, 11 May 2024

Lunchbox - Pop And Circumstance

 

For artists with a 30 year career, Lunchbox's welcome return amazingly sounds like the excitement of a debut album. Also, for a band that comes from Oakland California, at times they sound very Brit Indie Pop from across the decades.

Dinner For Two kicks in all Pearl and Dean swinging Sixties and is followed by I'm Yours, You're Mine which keeps some of the character of the opener, but treads more into the Indie Pop of the 80s and adds some cracking Brass.



Don't Wait Too Long has a big whiff of French Cinema, yet is driven by a mix of Farfisa and more Great Britain. A little Saint Etienne even. Is This Real returns to 60s, all smooth and almost Jazzy. Time Won't Lie could be Rachel Sweet or Tracy Ullman and all UK Beat and Jangle Pop.

Yet Summer's Calling is great California Bubblegum Pop and fairly pop rocks along with an addictive Guitar riff. Love For Free could be 52s with an Acid Jazz instrumental accompaniment. Don't Wait Too Long however is part Ska, part Mod Pop.



New Year has a poptastic vocal and a Jangle that drives the song along. This World even treads into Psych Pop, but the closer, All Around The World is the real revelation. Part They Might Be Giants, part 90s Slacker Pop. It is wonderful!

Indeed the whole album is. A lesson in Indie Pop that is melodic, varied and inventive. The instrument cupboard has been ransacked to allow arrangements that feature the unusual, Brass especially, but there is also Flute and more. Magnificent!



You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.


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