Quite a lot of you will know Allan Vest, particularly from our Anything Should Happen days. He was the lead figure in Starlight Mints who offered up four outstanding albums up till 2009. doublevee began in 2012 with Barb, who became his wife in 2015.
A debut album arrived in 2017 and a second followed in 2022. This mini album features six new songs that are right up our street. The reaction to Submarine Number Three Vee has been great after its appearance on the current Listening To This Week.
This is varied Intelligent Guitar Pop, quirky and not afraid to tread into different genres at will. For instance, the closer, Everyone's Lonely Under The Sea, sung by Barb, is a heady mix of New Wave, Psych Pop and even a little B52s.
With the Starlight Mints connection, you'd expect some Power Pop and Diamond Thumb provides this with a killer riff and a slight spacey keyboard accompaniment. Natural Selection is more Bossa Nova, with Spanish sounding Acoustic Guitar and a little Brass, wonderfully haunting.
Modern Times is built around a splendid arrangement, with sounds coming from everywhere and another corking riff. It sounds a little Nik Kershaw at times. Maybe Tonight (What's Inside Of Me?) is more straight ahead Pop Rock, Piano led with additional left field guitar.
Submarine Number Three Bee remains as great a listen as ever. The Baroque Pop arrangement is superb, this is definitely one of the singles of the year. Periscope is beautifully arranged and produced, a really special offering.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
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