The Bluetones - 'The Bluetones' (Cooking Vinyl) Released 09/10/06

After twelve years in and out of the music eye, The Bluetones are obviously still planning on sticking around, although have perhaps started to run out of naming ideas with their naughtily lazy eponymous self titled album. Still the best of them have done it, and this seems a good omen for the resulting confident album that will not fail to disappoint Bluetones fans.

The first single to be taken from the album 'My Neighbour’s House' is without doubt one of the high points of the album. Its good clean rock & roll fun with an annoyingly catchy vocal which we challenge you to listen to without adding your own probably less melodic harmonies to - it’s like sucking a fruit pastel, impossible to do and something you may just as well not fight against. The lyrics to the track mask a darker edge to the band and a deeper level to the song.

Showing they’re no one trick pony, the albums 'Fade In/Fade Out' is a notably beautiful addition, with a gorgeous steel stringed guitar/double bass part that sets off the songs story of struggle perfectly. So when we learn the track in question has been written for David Williams to support his cross channel swim, we can’t help but be disappointed that all the water talk isn’t infact a metaphor, but meant quite literally (“wave upon wave breaking into your face, but it won’t drive you back”) – somewhat cheesy, but still a noteworthy good track. And as with all the tracks on the album, good or bad, Mark Morriss’s vocals rolls over the band with his distinctive voice that really gets under your skin with its acid spiked sweetness.