So Much For Love By Slow Down Tallahassee
Slow down Tallahassee’s debut album has successfully taken 50’s and 60’s boy/girl bubblegum pop influences and transformed them into something much more meaningful than stylised teenage dreams being shattered by bequiffed tattooed bad boys called “Johnny.” They’ve managed to come up with an album that whilst containing obvious retro influences never feels anything other than completely new, of its’ time, and relevant! Maybe it could have only happened in Sheffield!(Recently voted the nations second most musical city, much to the chagrin of Mancunians!) Initially you could be forgiven for feeling that the album is packed with sweet as candy pure pop confections, but take a closer listen to the lyrics and you’ll realise there are darker desires beneath the seemingly sugar sweet surface, and they don’t beat about the bush. “Put your seducing hands upon me / then put your lips between my hips” Blimey! Not quite “I Wanna Hold Your Hand? ” is it ;) – Yorkshire folk eh ? Plain speaking, to the point, no time for southern niceties such as coquettish looks, and courtship, they say what they like and they like what the bloody well say……
Title track “The Beautiful Light” kicks off the album in fine style and even boasts a keyboard riff that wouldn’t be amiss in an episode of Scooby Doo, you know the bit set to music containing a wacky montage in which Scooby and the gang run on the spot and are then pursued by a variety of monsters/villains, who it will transpire, are wronged business men…(I’ve often contemplated how this behaviour would translate in the real world , for example, has Alan Sugar ever considered dressing up as some sort of monstrous ghoul to scare off the competition ? Mind you, he’d not need a mask..…..) “Never Be Lonely Again” is the shortest track on the album clocking in at 1.46 , and deals with a fledgling relationship, all hearts, flowers, and promises of eternal love and undying loyalty, it precedes “So Much For Love” which could well be dealing with the aftermath of the aforementioned relationship….. “So Much for Love” was definitely one of the singles of last year with its scratchy, swirling guitars, throbbing bass line, keyboards that haven’t sounded this uplifting since Robert Smith warbled “In Between Days” and vocals that could coax the sun from behind the seemingly ever present clouds this summer . Talking of the sun “Electric Sun” is pure shoegaze , reminiscent of Lush, (which obviously can’t be anything other than fabulous by definition) whilst “Baby Don’t Cry “ is possibly the most personal song on the album. It’s a rather moving account of the bond between mother and daughter and an example of the fiercely protective love that comes as part and parcel of parenthood . The album delivers catchy hook laden pop, whirling guitars and keyboards coupled with an upbeat sound that is sometimes at odds with the lyrical content “ When you beg him to stop, may the devil only f**k you faster” The pace is only checked by a couple of slower number such as “The Prettiest Tree” and “Limbs” which are a nice interludes, although SDT really hit the mark when they don’t actually “Slow Down”. I suppose the only criticism could be maybe it’s a couple of tracks too long , but hey its value for money, and when was the last time somebody from Yorkshire gave you owt for nowt ;) ? All in all it’s a fantastic, debut and has borne the ripe fruit that early demos have long promised. If “Grease” had of been conceived in the back streets of Sheffield this would have been the soundtrack. SDT is the word ! (well three actually)
8.5/10
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