Hook-filled guitar-based indie-rock and power-pop
If the Brill Building had lasted into the twenty-first century, one could only hope they’d be turning out pieces of pop perfection like the Perishers’ “Spectre.†The song builds from a lovely guitar riff, gently strummed acoustics and an infectious vocal melody, and by time the drummer kicks in with Hal Blaine’s iconic “Be My Baby†beat, the strums have gained force, the bass line has grown insistent and the guitar solo chimes with simple authority. The song’s lyrics are slight but potent, particularly the line “I have always loved this sound,†a sentiment that will ring in the ears of anyone who loves great pop music. The album makes good on its opening statement, with Who-like moments from the rhythm section on “I’ll Deny†and a variety of rock, indie-pop and vocal harmonies that bring to mind Teenage Fanclub, the Byrds (in their folk-, psych- and country-rock phases), Velvet Crush and other indie- and power-pop favorites. Don’t confuse this London-based quartet with the Swedish alt-rock group of the same name, as their albums are often interspersed in on-line catalogs. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com] 