I don’t often write reviews of reissues as there isn’t really any point. Any words that needed to be written have already been written by pens less caustic than mine but this is The Felt Tips and this vinyl reissue of their first album “Living and Growing” is a timely reminder that good things came out of 2010. Yes, the 2010 that was a whole fifteen years ago.
Back then – in fact, before it was even a genre that could be programmed into your guitar synthesiser - there was plenty of indie pop to be found in places like student unions and the train stations of rapidly decaying industrial towns. The Felt Tips were something different though. It was inevitable that they would be wearing cardigans but, at the very least, they would be doing so ironically. The Felt Tips also knew that it was likely inevitable that their future would involve mocha frappuccinos, ennui and vegetarian bacon on artisan bread yet they would, in that place and time, drink deep from The Smiths’ well of poetic introspection and burp up their own special brand of socio-realism and put it to music. Just listen to “Dear Morrissey” or the truly wondrous “Lifeskills” and you might wonder why, even in these inclusive days, that no band of the here and now could ever hump the vicar’s leg like The Felt Tips.
So, if you like a distinctly dry humour in a band’s lyrics with a side order of almost sarcastic indifference, The Felt Tips are most deserved of your rediscovery efforts and “Living and Growing” will make a very nice start to the downfall of your vinyl record collection. It’s that good.
Available from Bandcamp.