Some eighteen months after being released in North America you can finally purchase The Poems debut album in their home town of Glasgow. And what a good thing that is. The true story behind this album is fascinating on a number of levels but that’s for another day. Right now let’s concentrate on the songs.
The Poems formed around a core of Robert Hodgens, Bobby Paterson, Adrian Barry and first time vocalist Kerry Polwart. Song writing duties were split between Hodgens and the late Paterson (Love & Money) and the intelligent pop heritage enjoyed by the pair is very much to the fore.
Coming in just shy of fifty two minutes and augmented by two tracks not included on the US release this is a delicious slice of laid back soulful pop. Opening with the improbably titled ‘Sometime Somewhere Someone Should Say Something ‘which features lush harmonies courtesy of Justine Currie and Norman Blake and gives an indication of where the journey ahead might lead. Next up is the serene ‘So Soon’ which is reminiscent in so many ways of the finest moments of The Go-Betweens.
Whilst the arrangement on ‘See the Sunrise’, particularly the keyboard, is somewhat unconventional and almost random at first listen it is worth persevering with. Repeated listens reveal the song as a lost cousin of the DiVinyls classic ‘I Touch Myself’.
By the mid point the band are truly into their stride and begin to display their collective talents. ‘Ballad Of A Bitter End’ may be familiar to you as it featured in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy and charts the collapse of a failed romance. It has an almost organic feel and Polwart’s vocals excel and convince you that the relationship was doomed from the start and add a sense of inevitability to the split. Truly breathtaking.
Rather than wallow in pity and anguish the band immediately crank things up by dropping in ‘I Am A Believer’ which is all reverb soaked power chords and driving guitars. Conjuring up images of Johnny Marr playing ‘Please, Please Me’ produced by Phil Spector this is simply one of the best songs I’ve heard in quite some time. Once again Currie and Blake provide vocal backing.
Things move down tempo again with ‘Can You Come For Me’ and ‘No Sign Of Life’ before new song ‘Stupid Tango’ features. Then it’s time for the killer punch. ‘T.S.O.Y.A.’, the other song added to the UK release, is quite simply magnificent and worth the purchase price of the album alone. It tells the story of Motown and the debt owed to Berry Gordy’s label by, not just music, but popular culture at large. Any song that can namecheck Levis Stubbs, Jim McGuinn and Bob Dylan will always be alright in my book but this is incredible. It features a guitar riff that sounds like a Peter Hook bass line and thumps along accordingly. If this is an indication of the progress the band are making then the second album might just be perfect. Things are rounded off nicely with ‘I Just Want Out Of Here’ and ‘Lost And Found’.
Polwart’s vocals excel as too do all of the others involved. Hodgens proves once again that few understand the concept of melody and pop hooks quite like him. If lush, yet sparse arrangements interspersed with dynamic hooks and hushed half sung vocals are your thing then this is one to buy. Whilst it might not set the heather on fire it is a hugely enjoyable ride and worthy of your investigation.