Review Summary: Dig this lost treasure from a golden era.
In the early 90’s, Scottish bands like Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub and The Jesus and Mary Chain were riding the crest ahead of a new wave of Britpop. Around that time, The Pop Larkins went largely under the radar, despite releasing four EPs and headlining a few minor European festivals.
Under the banner of their 20th anniversary, this enigmatic Greenock four-piece has seized the opportunity to dust off their early recordings and reissue the best bits of a short-lived career. Funnily enough, the sleevenotes could have been written about the Reid brothers, acting as a poignant reminder that, with their scandalously shambolic, alcohol-fuelled live performances, it was always inevitable that the ‘Pops’ would implode as quickly as they exploded into a Special Brew Supernova.
For afficionados of the C86 scene, this album feels like a date with an old flame. Highlights include the enticingly catchy and melodic track "Cool as a Cat" and "False Start" with its pop punk guitar energy that punctuates the album. "The Pub Song" and "Suffrajet" share the same blend of happy go lucky pop that harks back to a 90’s era of sing-along choruses in an Oasis-meets Teenage Fanclub-meets The Lemonheads kind of way, while the stomping rock track "Save Me" points to the great guitar riffs of Primal Scream. From the opening salvo on "Crashed", there are many more gems scattered throughout this consistently rewarding album.
In an era of piracy, Fourtrak Records has dug out a lost treasure from a golden era.
