Since Scouting For Girls exploded out of radio speakers with the likes of ‘Elvis Ain’t dead’ and ‘She’s So Lovely’ the piano has experienced a new found fame in the pop world. The way Roy Stride uses the piano as though it was an extension of his very person is what makes each track so very infectious. There is no way one can remain seated in the presence of such energetic reliance on the keys to accentuate his happy, slightly rasping lyrical delivery; add that to the sumptuous strumming of Greg Churchouse on the bass and the oh so hungry domination of the drums by Peter Ellard and you have a recipe for musical addiction.
Once it is understood that the band’s aim is to get you addicted you realise that variety is not necessarily essential rather; repetitive, recitable rhyming sets are vital, once you have that all you need is for the instrumental delivery to be fuelled by an unparalleled hunger and the masses will bow down, and bow down they did. Each and every single is an infectious blend of key-fingering, capable bass handling and dominating drum delivery, unfortunately they all sound very similar. Not necessarily the same but the formulaic set of ingredients does not allow for deviation and so the pop trio don’t even try to test the waters, but hey if it isn’t broken, what’s there to fix?
Ultimately if you are seeking out the next best driving album, this one should definitely be part of the selection, your muscles itch to jump and run around as though you’ve scored the winning England goal. With the sour state of affairs at the minute, such an album is not only a breath of fresh air but a canister of the stuff, ready to deliver each and every time on each and every track. You can slap this CD and spin around the front room with your Nan and know it won’t offend, similarly you can leave the album on while your 3 year old does their colouring and know they won’t be reciting any questionable lyrics.
It’s not an album that is all about the diction, nor is it all about the music, it appears to be all about the delivery and they get it right every time, perhaps this is why some have slated the group, their overload on happiness even when the words being sung should be tugging at your heart strings, the guitar strings just won’t let you lose that smile. The ‘ooh whee ‘ backing vocals on started on ‘She’s So Lovely’ forcing your mind back to the days of Cliff Richard and the Beach Boys and summers ‘On the Busses’, continues through onto ‘It’s Not About You’ and you know what it doesn’t get tiring, unless of course you are trying to sit in staunch seriousness.
All in all this album like a few other pop sensations at the minute, not taking itself too seriously and by doing so they have been able to approach the creative process with a carefree nature which reverberates throughout the songs and continues to do so throughout ones senses whether they want them to or not. There should be a warning on the CD’s case about the addictive nature of the contents within, that it should be played with caution as once you have succumbed you will not be able to get the tunes out of your head and lord forgive you if you don’t know the lyrics as humming and ‘dum dum dee-ing’ will no doubt get you some funny and no doubt annoyed looks!
Making a lovely change from bands “who just form at school / college / university”, San Francisco’s 
Apologies for the lack of updates here on There Goes The Fear. Things are kind of hectic as I deal with the end of term and a new job.
By Phil Singer on Wednesday, 3rd March 2010 at 10:00 am
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