The presence of one half of The Lucky Bishops might be enough a reason to get you interested, but after listening to their “brainy” pop sophistication, it’s the songwriting talent of Marco Rossi, that will eventually make you smile, without having to say “cheese”.
Though the previous collection of mid’90s recordings and demos had already secured them a firm position on the map of the “thinking men’s pop”, it’s their regular debut that earns the “classic of the genre” title.
Right from the very start with Gurl Alone, they are sure to make you “SMiLE”, offering their own contribution to the latest hype, regarding the eagerly awaited release of Brian Wilson’s long lost “teenage symphony to God”.
While trying to make things more powerful, they usually add equal parts of XTC quirkiness and Rundgren-ized melodies, resulting in power-pop tunes such as Zero And Counting You Down, Everyone’s On To You or W.
And while trying to provide a little more tenderness, they’re finding the inspiration in Brian’s musical twin, born “one ocean and two days away”, offering us Kid Gloves, which is Macca-goin-psychedelic-with-a-dash-of-Neil Finn, or a pair of more “conventional”, but equally beautiful McCartney-ish ballads like Nothing To See and Sea Fret.
With Underworld and Wax Museum they use the jazzy flavoured popsike formula, which isn’t much farther from where Why She’s Not A Millionaire falls, also adding a hint of West Coast sunshiny harmonies.
Enlarge… well, at least your CD collection, and the rest will come naturally.
[Released by Pink Hedgehog 2004]
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