this is ethmo

'Sci-Fi Lo-Fi'
Released on 9 June 2008 on Nub Country



After the knockabout fun of prior release 'Jombal Portal' and a truly excellent entry to Cherryade's 'A Very Cherry Christmas' compilation last year, hopes are high for the new offering from The Pocket Gods, particularly the Gods themselves who incredulously compare 'Sci Fi Lo Fi' to The Beatles' 'The White Album'. Absolute nonsense, this is much better!

'Weekend Revellers' sounds like a drunk Bobby Gillespie singing over a casio keyboard demo in 1990 while his band jam along. 'Praise the Lard' is swimming in the same idiosyncratic merriment that has made Half Man Half Biscuit so bankable for years, but even they would draw the line at a garage, punk rock advert to the benefits of eating pig fat. The biggest leap from the band's normal sound comes with 'Howard Hughes' where they provide a suitably stellar, nay, interstellar sci-fi soundtrack to the eponymous paranormal monologue from the former Talksport DJ.

'This Is Now' is an archetypal jangle pop duet which calls to minds The Vaselines and, by way of a crafty key change during the xylophone solo (yes, it's that twee), should plaster a broad smile across the stoniest visage. That is until the factually incorrect proclamation of 'Got a Tower Records on Argyle Street' fills you with sadness for a byegone era when all indie music was like this and stores like Tower still existed. If more bands played music with this enthusiasm, keeping their focus on having fun and not making cold, hard cash, then perhaps they would.

Buy this now here.


Posted on 23 July 2008 by Richard Brown

Tags: pocket gods john peel howard hughes twee

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