Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 17/06/06
Label: Deltasonic

If their debut record asked "who killed The Zutons?", this tired and tiring follow up fairly begs "can't someone at least shut The Zutons up"? If their relentless fetishisation of the '60s still retained a slight charm in 2004, then - just as happened with The Thrills last year - it is almost entirely exhausted by their second effort.

So while it is regrettably common for a second album to bemoan the trials of fame, it still seems unusually petty when singer David McCabe starts bitching about an over zealous coach driver on the opening title track. It would be nice to believe his complaints about being shown "no respect" by this employee were an arch joke, were it not for the fact that small minded whinging is the major characteristic of the album, unleavened by the wit of a Mike Skinner.

All of which might be bearable were the music livelier or less entirely enthralled by the years 1967 - 1972, from the hoary, barnacled blues ballad "Someone Watching Over Me" to the Small Faces pastiche which is first single "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love". Still, at least these don't make you want to actively tear your ears off, unlike the maddening, nursery-rhyme-simplicity of "Secrets", with its gratuitous brass action and ugly chorus.

There are less infuriating moments to be found, should you be concerned enough to look. "Valerie" may be hobbled by some godawful rhymes, but it has a zesty chorus and even a slight, loved-up optimism. "The Little Things We May Do" maybe as banal as you would expect from a song bemoaning hangovers, but its chorus will still lodge itself into your brain. And if you can make it through to track eleven, there is a creepy little gem called "I Know I'll Never Leave", all small town dread and paranoid atmospherics, like "Street Spirit" sludgily reworked by Oasis.

But despite the best efforts of Stephen Street - who does his usual solid, if unspectacular production job here - there just aren't enough ideas or songs to make up for the overwhelmingly mean perspective. Grouches most certainly have a place in pop - see Morrissey, Yorke, Tennant - but they need to come armed with exciting music.

    by Jamie Gill