Elly Roberts reviews
At Large Recordings
The Magic Numbers have serious competition. The Researchfrom Wakefield Yorkshire, is a cracking new trio who can match them inevery department.
Two girls, bassist and multi-instrumentalist Georgia Lashbrook, elfin-likedrummer Sarah Williams and a bloke called Russell The Disaster Searle – amake a DIY and rather charming album.
Using a £9 rickety keyboard,apparently bought at Cash Converters, Russell and co have made an albumconsisting of old-fashioned pop songs with a genuine organic feel, partlycreated by producer John McEntire (Stereolab / Teenage Fanclub) in Chicago,who favours simplistic methods such a getting the right mics in front ofdrums etc.
Strangely, the music flourishes in contrast with the bitter sweetlyrics mostly referring to the ups and downs about the old love game.Swinging from love to break-ups, it bounces along beautifully. It feels likeanyone could have done this album, but would they dare to? Probably not.
In many ways its overloaded with lush three-part harmonies, and humabletunes, a nod to Russells songbook faves like The Beach Boys, The Beatlesand the Motown generation. These influences are focussed on True Love, CmonChameleon and Lonely Hearts – their debut single.
Instrumentally, its asdirect as the superbly crafted songs, which would make most radio playlists(except for the odd swearing, which is a shame and totally unnecessary).
Crowning a magnificent debut, they leave us with a glorious a capella onSplitting Hairs. Despite these influences, it doesnt become an obvioustribute to the 60s: its great songwriting for the 21 century, and greatlywelcomed. Surely, one of the best pop albums of 2006, and should berecognised as such.
Single Lonely Hearts (Still Beat The Same) is out Monday 13 February.
Weblink:The Research Go Pop.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. The Way You Used To Smile
2. I Love You, But
3. True Love Weighs A Tonne
4. Cmon Chameleon
5. Weve Got Something
6. Ba Ba Ba
7. Love Me Tender
8. Lonely Hearts Still Beat The Same
9. Shes Not Leaving
10. Too Young
11. I Bet If We Kissed
12. I Say Yeh Yeh
13. When You Get Home
14. Splitting Hairs
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.