For many people, at least of a certain age, ‘Indie’ has connotations of a certain type of band. We’re talking either jangly, fey C86 acts, or ‘alternative’ acts of the late 80s and early 90s, guitar bands that predate the grunge era. Many of the bands that have attempted to recapture those sounds in recent years have been pretty naff, third-rate Smiths rip-offs by and large. The Seven Inches are one of the notable exceptions, and ‘The Seven Inches Get Disorientated’ is a succinctly-stated work that captures the best aspects of ‘indie’ – and doesn’t remotely evoke The Smiths.
‘Galumphing’ isn’t a word that crops up terribly often in pop music, but then ‘Cashback’ captures perfectly the quirky appeal of TSI and their wry commentaries on everyday happenings. The fact the album begins with a racing commentary’s excited narrative accompanied by an urgent spiralling organ gives an indication of the band’s quirky appeal, but they have no shortage of songs, either. ‘The Little Things’ is very Wedding Present, a flurry of guitars, kitchen sink pondering and northern attitude, while ‘Our Gang of Friends’ piles a stack of brass on top of upbeat wonky indie-pop. The title track is a stomping punky blast (think of the Dickies’ version of the Banana Splits theme) that packs a rabble-rousing chorus and bolshy brass with change from two minutes.
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The 12 tracks on ‘The Seven Inches Get Disorientated’ present a band who are versatile, witty and fun.
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