Bronco Bullfrog - Clarifoil

Bronco Bullfrog's ode to the vinyl packaging of yesteryear.

We live in an age when the music you buy is mostly packaged in one of either two ways – as a no frills but accessible download where the best you can hope for is a pdf booklet. Or there's deluxe vinyl versions that you need to take out a mortgage for, whose prices are pumped up by the inclusion of postcards, badges and other pieces of paraphernalia. These items are usually limited so therefore end up sitting on shelves, never getting played in fear of price-dropping damages.

It wasn't always this way though. And Bronco Bullfrog are one band who know about such matters. The newly reformed three piece have just released a single that sings the praises of clarifoil. If you don't know what that is take a trip to your local charity shop and take a look at the old vinyl LPs. Chances are one or two of them will be coated in a moisture-proof plastic coating. It may have aged slightly, cracked or bubbled up in places but you'll get the idea. As seen on a whole host of 60s vinyl releases from Matthew & Son, to Decca Eps and The Kinks on Pye. (You can learn all this and more from the wry, knowing, funny lyrics!)

Musically it's a retro-fused powerpop affair, packed with plenty of harmonies and “oooh-oooh-oohs” in all the right places. The flipside is pretty neat too - “Never Been To California” takes a wistful look at all the cliches and assumptions us lesser-travelled Limeys have about the sunshine state. Regret never sounded so funny or so much fun. The two tracks sound like songs Pete Townshend might have penned for The Who Sell Out, full of humour and good vibes. Buy with confidence!

Out now in glorious mono on State Records. (Limited to 500 copies on 7")