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Review: 'CAPTAIN WILBERFORCE'
'Black Sky Thinking'   

-  Label: 'Kool Kat Music'
-  Genre: 'Indie' -  Release Date: '27th March 2017'

Our Rating:
This Leeds based group's 2015 EP was called The Late Captain Wilberforce but it seems that rumours of their demise have been exaggerated.

Their first full length release since 2011 from the self-managed, self-produced and self-promoted band finds them regenerated with a new permanent line up - Simon Bristoll (Songwriting, vocals and guitars), Carl Banks (Drums), Rob Simpson (Guitars) and Massimiliano Borghesi (Bass, vocals).

With strong melodies, sweet harmonies and crafted lyrics, Bristoll's songs are influenced by 50 years of classic pop. Names like Nick Lowe, XTC, Crowded House and Squeeze have frequently been referenced in reviews of their previous albums and these same names come to mind again for Black Sky Thinking. In other words, he writes the kind of tunes are never wholly in or out of fashion.

"I've never had anything to say; but I've always said it anyway" he sings on Stickleback Toffee but the strength of the material on this record shows that Bristoll hasn't hit a permanent writer's block yet. Take a listen to great tracks like Good Times, You Said and King Of Indecision for further proof.

Despite the bitter-sweet, even misanthropic lyrics, the fab-ness of the beats on these dozen songs shine with a retro glow.

In the TOTP heyday they could all be chart-bound singles but in the age of stream you have to be content to download the album from Bandcamp or other digital outlets. Worth the effort though.

Captain Wilberforce's website
  author: Martin Raybould

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CAPTAIN WILBERFORCE - Black Sky Thinking