A man might get to worrying whether the ghost of Britpop has finally been exorcised from our what is left of our cultural heritage but perhaps I need not have concerned myself for down there, or up there, depending on where you find yourself on this sceptred isle, there is the a band called The Sums.
Fronted by long timer Peter “Digsy” Deary, The Sums demonstrate that not all that was wonderful in the nineties has devolved into mediocrity of indie rock for, when it comes down to it, The Sums are still a blue collar band borne of the city and, despite the passing of the years, they still manage to sing from the standpoint of optimism. Throw in a literacy borne of maturity and more than enough musical skills to make melody the icing on every song’s cake and you have a band capable of making a point with more conviction than we have come to expect from today’s supposed musical revolutionaries.
“Better” is by no means a political album and it certainly isn’t an album that would ever be described as inaccessible. The Sums simply reflect the light of what could be considered as old fashioned song writing and performance back through the mirror of today to put it straight into your musical memory. Respect, and beer, is therefore deserved.
Best song? The energetic singalong “All Messed Up”.
The verdict? Working harder than the rest has benefits.