THE SOUND OF POP ART

THE SOUND OF POP ART
ENGLAND IN JUNE
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Mod-ish summer sounds from jet-fuelled trio

English to the hilt, Cambridge’s T.S.O.P.A. see former The Users and A Craze guitarist/songwriter Chris Free (with Users drummer Andrew O’Hanrahan) propelling a trio who update Mod riffs and attitudes and pour sunny harmonies over them. Influenced by The Who, The Kinks and The Jam, they succeed in turbo-charging these time-honoured tropes with gung-ho gusto. Tony Jenkins sings of shopping centres and high street girls in a flurry of optimism. “Visions Of You” and “Let’s Make Love in London” add a dash of Barrett/Bowie whimsy. Infectiously enthusiastic, this is classic boho pop: nothing new, but plenty invigorating.
- UNCUT June 2010

This is the stuff Mod/Pop dreams are made of - there are traces of The Jam in their more reflective and soulful phases on tracks like “Secondary Modern” (also hints of The Direct Hits), the smack of The Creation, the song “Biff Bang Pow” comes to mind as I listen to track 2 which is likely called “Pop Art” and takes you from a dreamy folky psychpop to quick wake up as the influence of The Creation’s BBP knocks you over. The Kinks “Waterloo Sunset” and it’s dreamy soundscapes also seem to surface, as well as hints of The Beach Boys and The Pearlfishers (who I sometimes use interchangeably), early Aztec Camera, and the early soul influenced songs by The Truth and much much more. - WALLY @ THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC