Rural France - SLOTHS.

 

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.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 31-40

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

31 Lunchbox - Pop And Circumstance     IDHAS Review

32 The Society Of Rockets - Tough Trip Through Paradise      IDHAS Review

33 The Smashing Times - Mrs Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys     IDHAS Review

34 Sharp Class - Welcome To The Matinee Show (Of The End Of The World)     IDHAS Review

35 Alex Pester - Boy     IDHAS Review

36 Supermilk - High Precision Ghosts        IDHAS Review

37 Velvet Attack - Visions From Inner Space      IDHAS Review

38 Pulse Park - First Second      IDHAS Review

39 Rural France - Exactamondo!      IDHAS Review

  

40 The Special Pillow - Meets The Space Monster     IDHAS Review

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Rural France - Exactamondo!

 

RF was/is a fantastic album.  I did worry, well I didn't really, if RF could be followed, it was so good. Well fear ye not,  our Wiltshire friends Tom Brown and Rob Fawkes have lost none of their chops, in fact Exactomondo feels like their balls have grown, it certainly sounds noisier and meatier.

Released on Meritorio Records, one of our favourite labels, the vibe is very 90s Indie Rock orientated, but tells you little about what is on show. At times it feels very UK, Scottish probably and yet it also edges towards US Slacker Rock. Instrumentally, it is quite a racket, wonderfully so.

The two openers are very prime time Teenage Fanclub. I know that's a lazy comparison, but they are. But elsewhere, this could be Dinosaur Jr. In between, there is Fuzz, Jangle, Power Pop and even a little Country Guitar. The odd time, the album heads into the Garage territory of say Guided By Voices.

There is a real edge on occasion, but songs never lose the sight of the melody and catchiness. Prize Goose, which closes the album, is probably the most gentle thing here, but the pair still manage to finish on a maelstrom Guitar outro.

Sunsplit jangles with a great intro. Blabbermouth strums along and contains that weeping Country Guitar and yet Guideropes is all Slacker and 90s College wrong with a great addition of Twang. Stay Away From The Widow, Sidney is great Garage Power Pop.

The latter's song title demonstrates the sly wit across the album, sort of Half Man Half Biscuit like. Indeed, there is a real lyrical adeptness across the whole piece that adds to the enjoyment through repeated  listens. Exactomondo will chime with followers here and hopefully add a whole new set of fans to the retinue. This album certainly deserves that.

You can listen and buy the album here. Please also visit Meritorio when you get chance here. It is a beacon of light in a darkening world.

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