Telford Mining Disaster - 'Rodeo Wine' (Tapewyrm) Released 03/04/06

Telford Mining Disaster have been kicking about since the year 2000 on the back of disenchantment with the linear path to fame and notoriety, the corporate-gobbling machine. Forging their own path these chaps who laff in the face of Das Capital. Involved as they are with some well-crafted songs and even better musicianship, they sure know how to wield and thrust their guitars, to yield jangly and riffing rhythms which nod and wink towards influences such as The Byrd's, XTC and The Colourblind James Experience - the former is no wild card, for TMD have a penchant for the instrument vintage, and the latter for they're a right quirky bunch.

The two opening tracks are not indicative of the albums merits - they are light and vacuous pop-lite. 'I'd Do Anything For A Quiet Life' shows more colour - a star-spangled pop number that sees the vintage guiter and Byrd's comparison bloom, the singer uncannily like Feargal Sharkey. 'The Ballad Of Bill Case' (sounds like Bill Gates) opens with rodeo-style narrator leading to an old hoe-down line-dance - "That right must have shook me up." 'On The Floor' harps back to the mid-60's when the mop was cropped, a track not unlike mid-era Beatles. 'Meet Taikonaut Joe' might just cut it on a Tarantino soundtrack should they hang around the right bars - with looping guitars and neat fretwork, its tidy and instrumental. 'The Cranbourne Meteorites' sings - "Where did they come from/ where will they go?"  - could reference their optimism on being 'discovered, but is in fact a ricochet display of frenetic musicianship.

'A Perfect Fit' proves the highlight of this release - with sun-drenched pop, low-key in tone and with a rounded sound, "It's not what I was dreaming of/ but it's perfect just the same...". 'Tuesday' comes in with a ballad and crafty songwriting as well as the old fallback - the mandolin. The closing numbers turn to nocturnal manoeuvrings, with spooks - 'Zombies From Outer Space' comes with cut and thrust guitars and a Violent Femmes-like dirge, and 'There Is A Bat -Shaped Hole (In My Head)' is like an anarchic post-pub crawl circus , something of a mock-opera, lots of caterwauling vocals, yet with musical control - some daft lines being spoken - "You can cut glass with scissors - underwater."

TMD need to get out there on the gig circuit and find themselves a good supporting role number as they will no doubt endear themselves to many. They're a serious customer in their game, showing versatility and crafty playing, the weaker parts being crap songs. Their gusto will help to carry them, hopefully for them beyond their circle of friends.