Aberdeen's He's Dead Jim return and you are as always in for quite a journey. Variety may very well be the spice of life and if so then Head Like A Toyshop is very very spicy. Melodically and without missing a beat they switch from genre to genre with ease.
On the odd song you can compare them to other bands that we like who are similarly able to offer considerable depth such as Spygenius and Emperor Penguin, but this lot take it to extremes. Don't dare to try to label them because the next song will be nothing like your nailed genre.
Let's offer up some examples. Paradise Fayre is top notch Toytown yet Ticket To Explode could Pete Wylie Wylie and WAH!. Wire Buddha could is West Coast Jangle and heads towards fellow Scots Teenage Fanclub.
Haywire is splendid 70s UK New Wave, but Tomorrow Is Yesterday mixes The Farm with big 70s funky Pop Rock.Why I Gave Up mixes Stiff Records and Marmalade with some wonderful Brass. There is even a Part Two which is very different, all Folk with a touch of INXS and a cracking vocal from Jenny Channel.
On The Beach gets all Undertones, whilst Seventh Night Of Sin gets all 1 2 3 Classic Power Pop. Adam Eternal is classic 60s Psych Beat and Back To You follows a similar direction is followed, but with a more modern slant. Swim To Oblivion sounds very 1978, but also gets close to another Scottish band, The Supernaturals.
There is even a faithful rendition of Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear The Reaper. I've embedded three tracks as always, but these could have been any of the others and don't tell you enough about how great this album. It takes astounding talent to make an album half as good as this. Feast you ears!
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on CD and as a download.
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Thank you, Don! Much appreciated.
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