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Perhaps having lost their way ever so slightly with previous album Up, Guards And At ‘Em!, flicking the reset switch The Pigeon Detectives return with possibly their most organic effort yet in the form of We Met At Sea.
Sounding more creatively natural than forced, the album itself is a solid project with a non- conforming nature to it. Catchy, harmonic, and toe-tappingly good, one minute you’re witness to mid-tempo romance (‘Light Me Up’) and the next you’re thrown in to a musical drink and drive awareness campaign (‘No State To Drive’).
While not trying to be, The Pigeon Detectives at times sound like the lovechild of bands The Maccabees and Arctic Monkeys. Perhaps it’s the passionate roughness heard in the vocals of Matt Bowman on cuts such as ‘Where You Are’ that give off an air of Alex Turner, or the happy-go-lucky lyrical content heard on ‘Day and Month’ that offer up similarities to the songwriting capabilities of Orlando Weeks. Regardless of the reason, these are two comparisons not to turn a nose up at.
Obvious stand outs include the rapid fire [and ultimately heart pounding] pillow talk anthem ‘Unforgettable’, which by offering up sentimental honesty in an indie direction transcends the pop/rock tag that other bands find themselves attached to. Another one to take note of is the naysayer repellent ‘I Don’t Mind’ - fans of Sunderland-based band Frankie & The Heartstrings will enjoy this one due to the resemblance of musical styles.
Recorded in their home city of Leeds, the comfortability factor has aided the band in creating a believable record with lovable growth. The more it’s played, the greater the impact.