This is Candy opera's first new album in almost 30 years, they were one of the more overlooked Liverpudlian bands of the 80's. This comeback album should win them lots of new friends and fans.
The album opens with the recent single These Days Are Ours a song that for me already feels like a familiar old friend with it's quite lush feel with the strings helping it emphasize the upbeat indie pop in a similar vein to Prefab Sprout or The Lilac Time.
Tell Me When The Lights Turn Green mustn't be confused with Dexy's Midnight Runners classic Tell Me When My Light Turns Green as this is more of a country heartbreaker that could have been written on a day trip to New Brighton.
Crash is one of those late night conversations about wanting to spend the night but only so you have somewhere to sleep, while the person your asking is interested in other nocturnal activities, this is infectious and won't send anyone to sleep as it’s far to invigorating for that, especially the final climax that closes the song.
Start All Over Again could easily describe the band getting back together after a long hiatus rather than the relationship drama unfolding in the lyrics of this jangling Bluebells style indie song about wanting one more chance even after you've said your leaving.
See It through your Eyes slows things down as they try to see the other side of the argument as to why you should love them in a very wistful way that eventually builds a good bit.
Five Senses Four Seasons is an gentle acoustic ballad of the sort Boo Hewerdine as been making for decades, this builds gently into a sing along with lots of hand clapping as they give it there best shot, it also sounds like they will play up to the sing along aspects of it live when it will really sound uplifting.
Real Life is a gently beautiful song reminiscent of Aztec Camera as the central relationship at the heart of the song is hopefully held together as the cool guitar figure seems to be full of emotion and the hopes and desires they have.
Enemy is full of pleading to his love that they are not his enemy of some lush Prefab Sprout style indie pop, I do hope she forgives him.
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Freedom Song has the feel of an early 70's folk rock song it's gentle and plaintive description of the feelings of regret at gaining Freedom from a relationship and at the children left behind and how they must be feeling at the rubble of the relationship that's now history, the cello works brilliantly on this song to accentuate the sadness at the songs core.
Hashtag Text Delete is an sideways look at the modern world and shares a sensibility with the Stephen Kallinch's band with Jon Tiven Yo Mama and really barrels along.
Rise has the funkiest guitar lines on the album and is the most dancefloor oriented piece having a gently disco funk feel to it but with the same sort of edge to it as Orange Juice had as the brass section comes in to really up the funkiness.
Crazy dials things back down so they can ask the questions you ask of your love, when you think they are playing away, as the trumpets play and you try to answer in ways that calm the storm, this has some interesting musical turns as they seek resolution.
Gimme One Last Try is an almost gospel pop Northern soul pleader for that One Last Try no matter how he's messed up this time, he almost sounds like he's down on his knees begging her.
The album closes with There Is No Love as he's out on his ear again, set against a reasonably fast paced indie blues song that almost sounds like an acoustic re-working of something by The Teardrop Explodes as he has finally given up on love and although it's not said has given into his other lusts.
Find out more at https://www.candyopera.com/ https://www.facebook.com/candyopera/ https://candyopera.bandcamp.com/releases
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