#FeatureFriday The Cocker Spaniels Are Still Alive, And So Are You

Do you like your pop music quirky, fun, political, funny and a playfulness that belies it’s depth?

Good.

Come ‘ere…

The first thing you are hit with on this collection of songs is the dexterity. Lyrically clever, funny, insightful, with a raconteur’s wit to carry you along. Vocally some of the best delivery I’ve heard in recent years. Melodic and gymnastic and adventurous.

The arrangements and recordings have width and space to allow everything to breath but feel it a manages to sound full at the same time. It’s tastyful. It’s really considered.

I wish I had the time to think

About the things I’m doing

before I do them

– I Wish I Had Time to Think

Music for me is about choices and they make the right choices. Guitars, bass, drums they all interweave perfectly and when you hear keys or synths it’s a treat.The songs themselves are brilliant, well constructed and performed – they tell stories, set scenes, make observations and give opinions all in a quirky pop way that reminds me of 10cc, Split Enz and Ben Folds Five – musically it is more than those simplistic comparisons. It has such a melodic sensibility, it’s fucking joyful.

You’re a little kid with a big brain

And it hurts my heart to hear you cry ‘

Cause you just can’t say what you want

some days No matter how hard you may try

– Little Kid With a Big Brain

There was a spot in the late 90s up until the early 2000s where indie/alternative bands took their pop music and wore it proudly on their sleeves and I feel that here. That uplift with a slight melancholy while still having that hardcore punk smelly club sensibility in the bag, ready to pull out and deploy when needed.

If you want to treat yourself, grab a big old chunk of this now.

I said now.

For fans of They Might Be Giants, Teenage Fanclub, Squeeze, Cake and Presidents of the USA

This album managed to surprise me. On the surface, nothing seems unusual or exceptional. The vocals and instrumentation are exactly what can be expected from radio-friendly Power-Pop, the mix is decent while still having the “homemade” feel and the structure is fairly standard. Listening to the lyrics, my perspective completely changed, however.

Each song tells a story of life, relationships, parenthood, society, racism, all the highs and lows that can be encountered. It’s a remarkably mature, even sober outlook, that feels instantly relatable. Every decision that was made in recording and producing this album enforces this simple idea: these are things, good or bad, that can and will happen to normal, ordinary people. It made me feel vulnerable and empathetic, without making me uncomfortable.

Overall, it shows that this was a project that was completely heartfelt, honest and a true labor of love. It’s truly exceptional and gets my highest recommendation!

 

– Florgoth