Album Review: The Wedding Present - Valentina

(Scopitones)

It’s strange to think that at one point The Wedding Present held the record for the most top 40 singles in a calendar year. Between January and December 1992, the band notched up a stunning 12 charting hits, a record that would not be beaten until 2004 (by Elvis Presley, no less). Now 20 years later, David Gedge & company are releasing their eighth studio album, “Valentina”, into a musical landscape where the band’s indie-pop template has been adopted by an onslaught of acts, from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart to The View. But in light of these young contenders to the crown, can The Wedding Present still remain engaging and relevant?

On the strength of “Valentina”, the answer is an overwhelming yes. The group have made what is perhaps their strongest album since their early 90s heyday, with the songs capturing the hope-inspied romanticism of David Gedge. The album kicks off with “You’re Dead”, a sprawling six minute opener that goes from out-and-out rocker to calming self-reflection over it’s running time. This is followed up by the biggest pop moment on the album, “You Jane”. The track sees Gedge take the lead as a neo-romantic crooner. “I’m Bogart, you’re Bacall”, he sings, whilst also comparing himself to Tarzan.

Many of the tracks feature the same template of hard-soft dynamics mixed David Gedge’s slightly sly delivery. However, some of the album’s best moments occur when the group abandon this formula and go into different territory. “The Girl From the Door” seems to be one of the most tender song on the album, there is a great lyrical dissonance, with Gedge proclaiming that “I’ve been using you all this time”, one of the darker moments on the album. “524 Fidelio”, an ode to a minor planet in the Milky Way, features an unusual time signature and a rather funky bassline, leading me to conclude that it would make a great, if left-field 2^nd single from the album. 

From a production point of view, “End Credits” is the most interesting song, with two drumkits being played in tandem without feeling either overwhelming or superfluous, making it one of the sole tracks on the album that is better suited to headphones than the stereo.

Whilst the album is rather good, it is far from being perfect. “Stop Thief”, the only real clunker on the album, never seems to get out of the starting gates, whilst I cannot understand the need for the 30 seconds of white noise at the end of the otherwise enjoyable “Back a Bit…Stop.” Perhaps it’s to waken up less attentive listeners? Still, these are minor quibbles in what is a largely solid album.

“Valentina” is an album that reminds us why so many of us fell in love with The Wedding Present in the first place. It may have been 20 years since the band were chart stalwarts, but that doesn’t mean that they are no longer relevant. “Valentina” is a love letter to those heady days viewed through 2012’s lenses, capturing what made the band so special and making it relevant for today’s music fans.

Released: 19th March

Highlights: “You Jane”, “524 Fidelio”, “End Credits”. 

Tigercats - Full Moon Reggae Party

Let's be frank, who honesty could not love a delicious slice of freshly crafted indie-pop? (A. Goths. Goths could not). Our side of the Atlantic has quite a plethora of hot new indie-pop bands coming through the ranks at the moment, and the most recent band to come to my attention are London quintet Tigercats.

Following on from a few dates where the group played along blog favourites This Many Boyfriends and Allo' Darlin, the band have released their latest single into the wild, "Full Moon Reggae Party." Even though the title is slightly misleading (the track features no werewolves, or syncopated rhythms), the track is a quirky track that manages to be cute without falling into the twee trap. The video for the song is a rather stunning piece of psychedelic animation which has to be seen to be appreciated.

"Full Moon Reggae Party" features on Tigercats' upcoming album "Isle of Dogs", which is released on April 9th.

The Babies - My Name

What would happen if Caitlin Rose moved to Brooklyn and co-fronted a garage rock band? You might get something like The Babies. Their latest single, "My Name", is a lightly country-tinged indie-pop tune with lo-fi sensibilities that tackle that age-old problem of growing up.

"My Name" will be released as a double A-side 7" and on cassette on April 21st.

Shy Around Strangers - Never Look Down

 

 If Blondie were starting out today rather than in the murky depths of the 1970s, then I imagine they would sound a little bit like New York trio Shy Around Strangers. Their debut single "Never Look Down" (which is available as a complimentary download), shows a band starting as they mean to go on, with the powerful raspy voice of Emily Powers dominating the song, which wouldn't sound out of place on the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "It's Blitz" album.

Fuzzy Empire - Contraband

 

 It's been all change in camp Fuzzy Empire since the last time I put metaphorical pen to paper about them. The Dublin electronica merchants have now expanded to a trio with the recent addition of bassist Hil White, and have marked the occasion with their first post-expansion song, "Contraband."

"Contraband" is the strongest song the group have released by far. The added bass has added a bit of depth to the group's sound, as well as adding, for perhaps the first time, a sense of fun. It's electro-punk territory calls to mind the less polished side to LCD Soundsystem, as well as calling to mind another Irish trio doing rather snazzy stuff at the moment, Not Squares. I'm not sure whether the song will act as the new "Ground Zero" for the project, but it's a great demonstration of a band with heaps of potential upping their game to exciting new levels.