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Norwich might be most famous for birthing everyone’s favourite comedy creation, ABBA enthusiast and failed TV presenter Alan Partridge, but it’s also brought us the lovable sextet, and late-Peel favourites (they managed to clock up 4 sessions before the legendary DJ’s passing) Bearsuit. Following 2005’s singles collection, ‘Team Ping Pong’, ‘OH:OI’ could just as easy pass for another collection of airwave clogging, chart-bothering (in a just world) A-sides, each track being as pleasingly immediate-without steering into predictability- as a well-worn classic.
During its all too brief half-hour duration, they dip into a veritable musical tapas, taking in brash punky rhythms, ska-lite punctuations, double dutch cheers and the kind of childlike innocence you’d find amongst some of Deerhoof’s extensive back catalogue, switching moods completely within mere bars and mashing tedium.
The breadth of the groups instrumentation and arrangements is impressive throughout-who would have thought the coupling of frantic Thurston Moore-esque guitar histrionics and cornet stabs would gel so perfectly- exemplified in previous single ‘Steven Fucking Spielberg’, the indie blast beat heavy ‘Hark! The Feral Children’ or the exhilarant rush of ‘Keep It Together Somehow’.
With every member attempting some kind of vocal input (minus drummer Matt Hutchings) be it cathartic screaming, angelic falsetto texturing or schoolyard chanting, the sounds never stale, nor will the hooks upon hooks upon hooks let even the most MTV-damaged, malfunctioning mind wander for too long before being reeled back in.
Main vocal protagonist Jan Robertson’s voice takes on an almost youthful Damon Albarn (in his former-Parklife) playful timbre at times, and whilst Auzzy group, Architecture in Helsinki, take the edge in the cramming-as-many-musical-styles-into-a-short-amount-of-time stakes Robertson’s personable vocal slant is a lot more satisfying than the Gonzo the Great approach adopted by Cameron Bird recently.
An excellent follow up record from a group that go from strength to strength whilst remaining shockingly underappreciated, fingers crossed this could be the record to push them into the view point of the alternative aficionado.
