About three years ago this reviewer saw the Bishops perform at the Glasgow Barfly in front of 30-odd people.
They were instantly irresistible; twin brothers Mike and Pete Bishop were dressed up like 1965, all sharp suits, shaking mop tops and sheer abandon.
For Now sees a not unwelcome departure into the noughties.
There’s more control and composure and the band are better for it. Songs such as ‘Hold On’, ‘Laughter in the Dark’ and title track ‘For Now’ are straight up belters.
However, the song-writing, production and vocal dynamics are just a bit clinical. Like a catwalk model who is too perfect to be truly attractive on a base level. Many will hear a lot of Kaiser Chiefs in the band. Mike Bishop’s vocals have an uncannily similar timbre to Ricky Wilson’s and the song structures resemble the Leeds lads output too. But then a lot of people (me included) wrongly dismissed Muse’s Matt Bellamy as a Thom Yorke clone.
For Now has a first listen finesse about it, and it’s this immediacy that deserves an audience far wider than the one at the Barfly in 2006.