ALBUM REVIEWS

The Bishops FOR NOW W2 RECORDS 2.3.09 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk The Bishops contain two Bishops – namely brothers Mike and Pete Bishop, along with drummer Chris McConville. The boys leer out from the cover of this, their second album like a bunch of non-used extras from mod movie masterpiece Quadrophenia – all ill fittings suits and glum expressions. Most of the tracks here clock in under than two and half minutes, and the whole shebang races along in less time than it takes to write ‘quintessentially English mod-rockers’. They take their cues from a myriad of classic British pop influences such as The Beatles and The Kinks, but add a modern dollop of psychedelia in the vain of scouse psych-popsters The Coral. Opening track ‘City Lights’ is a vibrant clamour of razor-sharp, spiky guitars and deadpan yet harmonised vocals. This sets the tone for the whole album as there’s not a huge variation on that well-worked reliable theme. ‘Hold On’ adds some wibbly-wobbly keyboards; a nice bit of parping trumpet fills out the sound on a couple of tracks, and ‘Nothing I Can Do Or Say’ throws in the curveball of some Roger Whitaker style whistling. Lead single ‘If You Leave Today’ is a satisfying stomp and contains one of many hugely infectious hooks throughout the album. The pace dips a little with the enjoyable acoustic plucking of ‘He Was A Friend Of Mine’ but then revs back-up for the closing few tracks with ‘Train Won’t Stop’ sounding almightily like a Coral tribute band strutting their stuff. Overall this is a pleasing pop romp of an album, and although it’s a relatively agreeable and inoffensive way to pass half an hour or so of your time, it’s hardly ground-breaking stuff. So I can’t see that this is going to set the world alight and make Global mega-stars of The Bishops boys just yet. Steve Claire www.thebishopsband.com Email Links & Comments to the editor Check the latest album releases