BOWFINGER - Happy With What You Got (Latent Lemon Recordings)

Review by Dawn

Having built up a dedicated fanbase, played countless gigs with the like of Dum Dums, Four Day Hombre and the Electric Soft Parade and parted company with their trombonist along the way, Luton's finest at last release their debut LP.

From the instant the album bounces into life with opening track Everything Is Easy it's clear that Happy With What You Got is going to be overflowing with enthusiasm and with irresistibly sparky songs; the band's unusual ska/rock/guitar-driven indie hybrid is best summed up by the wistful yet singalong rhymes and insanely catchy choruses of All of Those Other Things.

With traces of Electasy and Trailer-era Ash in its fizzing guitars, Action Girl is as feisty as its name suggests, but Bowfinger's mellower numbers are equally impressive and thus Simply Because is, quite frankly, lovely.

If there's one criticism it's that, having heard the band's earlier recordings, a couple of tracks here now sound a little bare without their fabulous trombone hooks and it's fair to say that they've lost a little of their quirky individuality; however, songs like You Scare Me still remain brilliantly infectious and it would be unfair to end a review of such a classy debut album on a low when, in truth, we ought to be more than happy with what we've got.

Thanks to Lindz. Visit www.bowfinger.net for more information.

^ Top of Page