Southampton, England is the place where I grew up. Once a famous port, now there is little to distinguish it from any number of large industrialized towns in the UK. Its music scene has certainly never been up to much; the city has in recent years spawned only the drummer from Coldplay and the once ubiquitous Craig David.
Delays are the biggest band to emerge from the city for eons. Their brand of '60s revivalism is already making waves around the country. In truth, we are talking second-hand revivalism here, as the band is following in the footsteps of eighties beat revisionists such as The La's and The Stone Roses. Delays seems to be an appropriate band name, symptomatic of the cyclical nature of the music scene; the danger is that without adding new impetus to the music that inspires us, we end up moving in ever decreasing circles, diluting what went before instead of upping the ante.
It is possible, of course, to wear your influences on your sleeve, while still sounding fresh and inspirational. The Stone Roses were brilliant musicians with massive personalities, and much more than the sum of their parts; they etched themselves a place in British music history. However, they were very much the exception, not the rule, and in their wake came a morass of dire carbon copyists with nothing to offer. Delays sound like they may have the potential to transcend their influences; singer Greg Gilbert has a voice which alternates nicely between stunning falsetto and authentic croak, and the band certainly have a way with melody. "Wanderlust" acts as a wonderful introduction to the band, as we hear Gilbert chasing a melody with his sweet falsetto over the rhythmic sound of steel drums. It's the closest I've heard a man get to the otherworldly crooning of Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser. "Nearer Than Heaven" is one of those songs that's so great you don't care how obvious the influences are.
"Long Time Coming" is a reasonably uplifting song, although it's the first track where you feel like you've heard it all before. It's a warning sign for what follows when the album doesn't so much tail off as go into a nosedive. The other tracks are uniformly dull, the melodies indistinct, and the music uninspiring. Surprisingly, they've even roped in Graham Sutton from Bark Psychosis to produce half the tracks, perhaps a suggestion by Rough Trade to give an edge to the band's sound. Unfortunately, Sutton was unable to prevent an overall air of insipidity pervading the album; one of his productions, "On," has to be the least rousing album closer I have heard in a long time. After a great start, Faded Seaside Glamour loses its way and ultimately fails to inspire; a bit like my home town.
1. Wanderlust
2. Nearer Than Heaven
3. Long Time Coming
4. Bedroom Scene
5. No Ending
6. You Wear The Sun
7. Hey Girl
8. Say Where You Are
9. There's Water Here
10. Satellites Lost
11. One Night Away
12. On
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