Review:

on 2011-04-03 CharlesMartel Said:

The Milltown Brothers were very much a band out of their time. They emerged onto the scene as jangle pop was just beginning its decline, as shoegaze was in full stare and Britpop was just a twinkle in Bernard Butler's eye. Their first album, "Slinky", had provided them with some moderate recognition and critical acclaim but was not the album which was to make the band. By the time they came round to releasing "Valve" it was all change in the British music scene. Jangle pop had gone: shoegaze had failed to ignite the scene: and Britpop was in the ascendancy. Where were the Milltown Brothers to fit in?

In truth, they produced their best work. This album is quality stuff. There are no duff tracks on this. This album builds on the promise shown on their first offering and brings to a climax the melodic style of jangly guitar based pop at which they excelled. Too bad that, as with the first album, this was not picked up by the mainstream public for this band surely deserved greater success than they achieved, a fate which befell far too many decent outfits over the years.

Too much of a pop act for the pretentious music snobs who ran the New Musical Express and others in the music press, at the time this album came out the music press were turning on their erstwhile pets, the shoegazers, with the vengeance of a scorned woman. The Milltown Brothers offered an alternative, but jangle pop had had its day in the sun. Britpop was emerging and diverting the attention of the pseuds in its direction. In retrospect, the Milltown Brothers never stood a chance. Some accused them of being slick marketing creations of some A&R man, but there is just too much in this music for that to have been anything close to a reality.

Musically this is as close as it is going to get to perfection. I regard myself as a pretty mean reviewer and rarely give out ten stars to anything, and never on a whim. Ten stars have to be earned and I am very picky when it comes to that ? perhaps because the criterion I require to be met for awarding ten stars is that the album is life changing. And there are not many life changing moments in a person?s life.

The opening three tracks set the pace perfectly. "Killing All The Good Men, Jimmy", the third of that trio is a stormer, with a very infectious hook line and a nice intro and outro of a single violin providing something more of a solemnity than would otherwise be apparent from the track. The song was recorded for Amnesty International's campaign against disappearances and extra-judicial killings and highlights the fear or indifference of all who turn a blind eye to what they know is going on but don't speak out. "Turn Off" and "Sleepwalking" were the two singles and exemplify their style and prove beyond all doubt that the world missed out badly when it neglected this band.

The remainder of the album consists of fine jangle pop, all of which have catchy melodies and are all short, taut examples of well played guitar based pop. Towards the end comes a fine rendition of Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", while the albums closes with the rousing "Cool Breeze". This anthemic track is one of my all time feel good tracks and always makes me feel really uplifted after hearing it. Definitely worth listening to. Definitely worth getting if you can still get your hands on it.
Rating: 10/10