You can take the boy out of Britain, but… opener ‘Vote Thatcher’ shows that Missouri-based ex-pat Gary McClure still carries a bit of home in his heart, with the heartfelt lyric: “Stoned by policemen who were stunned by their souls”.
However, it’s not all blood’n’snotters – the opener’s strident guitar is perhaps as rebellious as it gets before floaty synths drive the tune, if not lyrics, into powerpop territory. That sets the stall for a collection of considered, at-times 80s-influenced songs.
‘Amazing Grace’s chugging guitars are a little redolent of The Cars, while ‘Blind Kids’ synth and drum overdrive nods to A-Ha, perhaps showing that the 80s weren’t all that bad after all.
(This review originally appeared in the Fife Herald)