Papernut Cambridge - Outstairs Instairs

David Essex fronting Lieutenant Pigeon! Papernut Cambridge return with more warm-hearted pop!

Here we are at the mid point of 2018, a strange time in an increasingly strange land. A government in crisis; a civil war in all but name being played out under the ongoing Leave/Remain struggle; Donald Trump popping over to meet the Queen; cloudless skies over a sun-blistered Britain; and perhaps most incredulous of all the England football team doing well at the World Cup. You could not make it up.

Oddly though the feeling round our house is more redolent of the warm glow of an uncomplicated childhood Christmas. This is in no small part thanks to the release of Outstairs Instairs, the latest long-player from Papernut Cambridge. New music from Ian Button and his assembled band-mates is always cause for celebration, more so when it's this accomplished and satisfying.

Papernut Cambridge continue to draw on the early-Seventies for much of their musical ideas, a touch of Ronnie Lane, some gentle glam stomp, a bit of wonky pub piano, some spoof hotel lounge bar music and plenty of warm-hearted pop. The overall effect is akin to David Essex fronting Lieutenant Pigeon.

But don't be fooled into thinking they're simply aping their '70s pop annual heroes. This is more than a Top Of The Pops / Hallmark Records sound-alike. What sets PC apart is that they actually say something in their songs. They have meaning depth and purpose. Outstairs Instairs bristles with emotional intelligence, and finds lead Papernut/songwriter/vocalist Ian Button full of acceptance. Acceptance of the world, along with his place in it. Many of the songs here offer an outlook that celebrates small acts of kindness and how much they're needed when our so-called leaders seem to have lost their moral compass.

Not only does the music hit the mark but as is always the case with PC, they present it in an attractive and interesting way. The vinyl version of Outstairs Instairs plays from the outer edge inwards on side one, and from the centre outwards on side two. Something to do with the inventor/architect Richard Buckminster Fuller and the C60 molecule named after him apparently. (Don't ask me, I'm no scientist!)

As befitting such a large and loose collective, the Gare du Nord Records extended family get involved – Jack Hayter features on viola, with (amongst others) Darren Hayman, Robert Rotifer and Luke Smith also playing various bits and bobs. If you've yet to experience the mighty Papernut, now is the time!

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Ulysses – Law And Order

More tales from brave Ulysses! Bath pop-rockers return with their 3rd LP!

Imagine an album that's made by a quartet of natural born piss-takers, high on humour and melody, performed with killer musicianship, with a smidgen of global hi-jinx and deviant sex. Ladies and gents check out Law And Order by Bath quartet Ulysses. It's been three long years since the band's last LP, the feelgood rock-pop opus Kill You Again. OK so that's not a Stone Roses length wait but given the quality of their tunes it's difficult not to feel a little impatient. Law And Order does not disappoint, if anything it's their strongest album yet.

Ulysses take their cue from early '70s guitar bands, with songs that rock, are adorned with fantastically over the top guitar solos, but haven't forsaken the '60s principle of strong melodies. Think Thin Lizzy with a jokebook, or Badfinger on happy pills. The Badfinger comparison gains weight from the melodic nod on 'Crazy Horses Ride The Snake', some would say a downright steal from 'Come And Get It'. Whether stolen or borrowed you have to admire their cheek.They're at their best straddling the fine line between pastiche and piss-take. Like that kid who always sat at the back in class, being serious is not their bag man. But boy can they play!

While glam-rock may be the presiding musical influence, the band's aesthetic is equally informed by cheap spy novels, Jeff Lynne's fashion sense and quite possibly British sex comedies starring Peter Askwith. It all points to Ulysses as the sort of band that deserves its own cartoon or comic. The Bath Street Kids anyone? Full marks too for the great fonts and album artwork. Top banana and album of the summer hands down! Check out the documentary below to see what the band are about.

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Ulysses - Kill You Again

Pirates ahoy! Bath rockers plunder the lesser sung songbook (and the dressing-up box) to great effect!

Delving into rock's salad days for inspiration is of course nothing new. The Darkness were seemingly on the verge of world domination a few years back with their cheeky blend of Thin Lizzy riffs and Mercury-esque camp. Rather than taking their cues from such big-hitters, Bath-based quartet Ulysses have opted to dig a little deeper into rock's back pages for a sound that never tries to be cool, but is a lot more fun than what most current bands have to offer.

It's not difficult to guess what makes up their record collection, no doubt a healthy mix of low-rent glam, stompy powerpop and the catchier end of classic rock. There are echoes of Slade's Coz I Luv You, (on the opening chords of Oranges & Mary), Steppenwolf's The Pusher (on French/Japanese), and The Move's Flowers In The Rain (on L.O.V.E. Yeah) along with a cod-reggae section on the title track, worthy of Paul McCartney's Wings.

It's the Wings comparison that's most on the mark, the band's songs straddling the line between rock and pop, with a sense of fun that sometimes borders on endearingly daft, just like the ones Sir Macca used to write. Factor in some rather ace harmonies, the odd musical joke and and an off-the-wall dress sense and you've a recipe for something rather ace.

 What really makes the record is not their repackaging of rock's past into a fun present day version but the fact that they write really good, hook-laden tunes, along with grade-A killer lyrics. A few spins of this album and you'll be whistling/singing/humming them all week.

The band will be appearing at The International Pop Overthrow festival in Liverpool in May. It's a great indoors festival which takes place at the Cavern Club and Cavern pub, and a chance to catch loads of brilliant bands at a bargain price. Ulysses play on Saturday 18^th May. Do yourself a favour and go check them out. If you can't make it buy this album instead, it won't disappoint.

 www.ulyssestheband.com

Click over the jump for a couple of videos from Ulysses.