The Cleaners From Venus - Lilli Bolero

 

Martin Newell is one of the great national treasures. Too many concentrate on his Tascam 8 Track Recordings in a sort of awww bless him way when if they paid more attention to the quality of the songs and the songwriting, they would treat his work in a far more serious way.

Never one to take himself seriously, nor play down his Englishness, he is a master at making the mundane interesting. master of writing about the mundane. Just listen to the title track and realise what a great Guitar Pop song it is, all riff and chorus.

Not An Ordinary Love is also a magnificent offering.  A spoken storytelling joy, it is a splendid moody song that just engrosses you. A Poem set to a gentle arrangement. But compare that to the Jangle Pop of Queen Of The May. 

Too Nice To Be Tuesday is all 60s UK Beat, bordering on gentle Psych Pop and A Country Affair is a piano ballad, almost Peter Skellern without the Brass. Light Of My Life is a real campfire jaunty number with a great bassline and a sub baroque accompaniment that is bursting to get out without ever quite managing it.

The Queen Of Oysters is simply wonderful, a sort of modern day Gilbert And Sullivan that has a fine arrangement and harpsichord, yes harpsichord. I could write endlessly about all 13 songs. But suffice to say that this is Newell's best album in ages.

That is some compliment, because I cannot remember a duff one throughout his extensive career. The biggest take is what a songwriter he is. There is a lyrical adeptness throughout. Despite the fine arrangements, seldom do you listen to an album concentrating on the words. Absolutely ace!

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

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