There have been a lot of bands springing up this up year with surf-rock tinged guitars, and whilst many are fun, few are as intimate as Spectrals on their new album, Bad Penny. The fact they hail from West Yorkshire gives the album a real sense of day dreaming, evoking a longed for escape which, in today’s political climate, is always welcome.
Spectrals’ withdrawn approach to the hazy beach sound often lends itself to comparisons with the San Francisco band Girls’ 2009 debut ‘Album’ (no, really, it’s called Album) as they plod gloriously through their sunshine grooves. However, scratch the surface and all is not as happy as it may first appear as the entire album centers around Louis Jones’ ex and how she consumes his every thought and action. Behind every whimsical riff lies a lyric of confusion and unrequited love.
Standing head and shoulders above all is the track Big Baby. This is an out and out Phi Spector masterpiece. Sometimes an act comes along and mentions influences which leave you thinking “you don’t get it at all”. Well, not here. The spirit of the Shirelles and Ronettes will have a long and prosperous future due to the Spectrals’ flare to combine 60s girl groups with indie pop.
Lockjaw and Many Happy Returns show their Yorkshire heritage with a nod to Richard Hawley’s recent work on Coles Corner and Lady’s Bridge. TT believes that the Yorkshire connection is crucial to why Spectrals are great. They are the link between the Arctic Monkeys to the surf rock trends of today that many have been looking for.
Yes, escapist beach anthems are great but history has proven that British folk love their pop music with grit and heartache like the Monkeys served up on their debut. That is exactly what the Spectrals deliver.
Spectrals - Get A Grip by Spectrals
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