Today appears to be a celebration of what's happening over here, long needed after all the tumbleweed we see. It is also a second opportunity to mention Meritorious Records and confirm my love of Rural France. our review of the Wiltshire duo's previous album, Exactamondo!, is here.
I say duo, but this is a trio with Jeff Hamm on Drums. SLOTHS feels a little more laidback than previous offerings, there's less of the early Teenage Fanclub Guitar histrionics. This change of pace, allows the lyric adeptness to shine through.
Indeed at times, there are real comparisons to prime time Go-Betweens, particularly on a song like Someone You Forgot. My long time favourite, Lonely Heart Pyramid Scheme is enhanced by the horns of John Hare as is the closer, Electrical Tape.
Electrical Tape is a stunner of a song that is melancholic and brooding and yet builds and builds until the Effects Pedal allows the Guitar to come in and then the Brass. Jukebox Weepie even gets all Half Man Half Biscuit again and has a wonderful twang to it.
High Hopes (Ballad Of Rural France) is a real let's do the song right here and with a bigger arrangement could have been a Brit Pop classic. It also has a loveable weeping jangle to it. Thirty-Seven Forever is splendid jaunty C86.
How You Gonna Get Even is Guitar Pop of the highest quality, a great Pop song for all times. Rural France's lyrical wit and strength often gets overlooked, the pen is as mighty as the sword. SLOTHS is a wonderfully crafted album, mellow and completely hypnotic.
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.
..............
No comments:
Post a Comment