Grow Up

Worth having just for Why are you so boring. A Classic

Fantastic CD. Only stumbled across as I was buying the new Jesus and Mary Chain CD and this was recommended. Much better than a lot of stuff currently sitting highly in the charts. Great guitars lovely vocals. I will now be ordering there first CD.

Is it me or is there something creepy about this album's front cover pic? I do get it though, and 'Desperate Journalist' singer Jo Bevan's pose { coquettish in kiddie's party dress } is at least conducive with the sentiment of the album's title. And penultimate track 'Oh Nina' perfectly touches upon that moment when those friends you spent your wildest years with suddenly opt for domesticity, leaving you the oldest teenager in town, " I Suppose it's time that I admit / That you grew up and got on with it ". Like a previous reviewer, I too am somewhat puzzled by the lack of attention ' Grow Up' has received thus far. I hope that situation changes soon because this record is rich with wit and intelligence, not to mention choc- a- bloc with great tunes. Lengthy opener 'Hollow' is atmospheric in a slightly gothic kind of way and not exactly immediate, but it does challenge you to go on, and it's a journey well worth taking. Adroit guitarist Rob Hardy flits from chunky riffs, keening lead breaks, and strokes of gleaming 12- string Rickenbacker, thus keeping the sound varied.Simon Downer's able bass playing and Caroline Helbert's spirited drumming provide commendable backing, and the result is never short of thrilling. Me I'm a sucker for female fronted bands, a fondness that stretches back to X-Ray Spex, Slits, Penetration, Rezillos ad infinitum. As you might expect, 'Lush' loom large in my legend { HOW'S THAT FOR ALLITERATION?} and vocalist Jo Bevan picks up the baton with her droll, sometimes oblique but always interesting lyrics. While single ' Resolution' cynically tuts and rolls its eyes at the mundane ritual of new year's eve, the infectious 'Why Are You So Boring?' delivers the kind of ace put down that Morrissey would surely approve of. Likewise the self deprecation of 'I Try Not To' which opens with the line, "Happily I've Lost All My Nerve/ To Give Myself The Kicking I Deserve". 'All Over' is the sound of a woman at the end of her tether { "I Am The Gunshot That Echoes Down Your Hall"} and you wouldn't want to upset her would you? Her surname may be Welsh, but Bevan's voice carries these songs with that lucid Englishness befitting of Harriet Wheeler and Rose Elinor Dougall, yet is nonetheless distinctive. Comparisons have already been made with Echobelly, Sleeper, Elastica etc regarding 'Desperate Journalist's' look and sound. This isn't entirely fair based on the fact that this band are 2 parts female, and I doubt that the Britpop bands I mentioned would have liked being likened to say The Primitives or The Darling Buds on this flimsy evidence. "I'm Chain Mailed As Seberg In The Death Of Saint Joan" from album closer 'Radiating' is the kind of arty Lloyd Cole name dropping lyric that I'd normally raise an eyebrow to, but it's such a lovely song that's tonally more 'Gene' than their obvious muse, The Smiths. I'm now looking into backtracking to 'Desperate Journalists eponymous debut, which is always the sign of a fine, inspirational record and 'Grow Up' is all of that and more.

I loved their debut album and subsequent EP but this one is taking a little longer to fully love.It opens with 4 excellent tracks especially the somewhat gothic opener 'hollow' and 'all over' with its raucous guitar ending but then things calm down after this (variation is always to be applauded of course) and they seem to lose some of their intensity. The songs are still very good but not quite as good as their predecessors.Don't get me wrong it's still top of the range power-pop/rock with Jo in fine voice as usual and the guitars are very powerful indeed but a couple of songs let the album down for me. It happily ends with a beautiful ballad 'radiating' which highlights Jo's beautiful voice.I still don't see The Smith's comparison's though?

An amazing band who deserve to do very well. Lacking in your love is a joy. They are even better live

Really brilliant & have fallen in love with this band. There's not a dud track but probably highlights are 'Hollow' & 'Resolution'. Jo Bevan (that's her on the cover) delivers a great & strong vocal & the backing of guitar (Robert), bass (Simon) & drums (Caroline) is solid, sublime & beautiful.. So far the album of 2017. Melodic energetic indie rock at its very best.

Like the other reviews on here I can't understand how this band is not getting more attention. This a quality follow up to the first album

An absolute joy........think post punk, Echobelly, The Organ and The Smiths and reap the rewardsby purchasing.