Delivering an-album-every-half-a-decade might not sound as a particularly bright idea for a pop band (unless they have “nine” lives?!), but as with their previous two efforts (Wonderworld Of The Colourful/1995, Properties Of Sound/2001) The Nines make this one more than worth the wait too.
The funny things is that by the time of the third album, you’d usually expect a band to evolve away from the initial concept, but here, you’re left with so much time in between that it makes you anxious enough for the exact same thing that you’re used to hear, wanting nothing more and nothing less.
As usual, Macca-ronies are the order of the day, with all kinds of different flavours, starting with the big, power-popin’ sound (Drama Queen, Hard Luck, Take What You Want), in a way it used to be done by soulmates such as The Merrymakers or Jellyfish, through the good time-ish Badfinger-pickin’ 10CC sound of Lena, to McCartney at his baroque-ing best in Marigold and Goodnight My Love, or post-Beatles balladery of Mary Jane and Average Joe, coming off not too unlike Emitt Rhodes paying the same tribute.
Darkening Sky doesn’t get too far away from the concept neither, sounding as if it wouldn’t be out of place on any of XTC’s post-English Settlement albums, leading us to Receiving Me, which was actually co-written with none other than Andy Partridge himself, making a nice joint “SMiLE”-ing Wilsonian tribute.
And for those of you from the “out-crowd”, this being your first encounter with The Nines, another name that might ring a bell and get you interested is Jason Falkner, who mixed four of the tracks and also sings backing vocals on one.
[Released by T.A.S.Gold 2006]
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