The FINEST HOUR: "These Are The Good Old Days"

Rating: RRR
Label: Heybert 2012
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

"She never heard of Dylan but still she sang along", it's a quote from the opening track "Never Heard Of Dylan" by the UK act The Finest Hour and it's quirky British feel good music at its very core. "These Are The Good Old Days" - the name of the debut album from this four piece based in the Cleethorpes/Grimsby area of Linconshire.

The old vikings are still present in other words (Grimsby) but these lads draw their influences from indie rock, punk, ska and folk. It's basically darn fun music based on the late 70's formula and arrangements used by the likes of The JAM, The Clash, Madness, Joe Jackson (Look Sharp), mixed with the slightly more modern approach of Weezer and Green Day. But then again, Green Day pretty copied everything from The Clash anyhow.

It's a nice and cozy little effort with typical (very) British accent vocals and consistently strong melodies throughout the album. Big choruses, arena/indie guitars, a rock solid rhythm section, and the typical mixture of ska/punk/rock made famous by all those crazy fun loving U.K. acts in the late seventies. Looking like they've just walked in off the same streets where others such as Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson once strawled, possibly crawled down, these lads won't draw big crowds based on looks and charisma. The music however is something not to be missed if you enjoy acts/artists such as Joe "Look Sharp" Jackson, The Jam, Weezer, etc. Release date: 1st October.
www.thefinesthourmusic.com