Delays Faded Seaside Glamour

Every now and then, a random provincial town throws up a great band. For example, Great Yarmouth gave us Catherine Wheel, Slowdive hailed from Reading and the mighty Lemmy was born in Stoke. To follow this trend, Delays call Southampton home, which certainly gives the title of their debut album a certain honesty, though the discussion of whether there was any glamour attached to Southampton in the first place is for another time. In any case, the past few months have seen the band clamber onto the growing wagon of momentum that has seen the rise of opportunity for new bands, with the singles Nearer Than Heaven and Long Time Coming deservedly careering into the top 40. Both showcase what Delays do when they're on their best form.

Naturally, by placing the two songs that are already in public conscience so early in the album - and opener Wanderlust is another fine effort, too - it creates pressure on the nine subsequent songs to shape up as their equal. And sadly for Delays, they only come close. Though the 60s chime of early single Hey Girl is possibly destined to be played on many radio's through the summer, the occasional meandering elsewhere often results in mild disinterest and a desire for something to happen - something like the rush received from the choruses of the extracted singles.

This is not to bring down Delays too much. This is, after all, a debut album that oozes promise. Singer Greg Gilbert is in possession of a memorable voice that gives the song an air of Cupid and Psyche '85 era Scritti Polliti romanticism (though critics who suggest his high pitched tones dominate the album obviously missed You Wear The Sun which sees him almost growling in its introduction), while the addition of keyboards on several songs is enough to distinguish the band's musical performances from the rest of the new indie pack. Then, of course, there's the dodgy bass effect on Stay Where You Are, which doesn't sound, interesting, just a little cheap.

So, Faded Seaside Glamour is the proverbial mixed bag. Despite occasional moments of album filler, Delays have still given us an album with at least three slices of timeless pop to ensure that this writer, at least, will await their further evolution with a keen interest.