The new album from Glasgow band the Eisenhowers clattered through the letterbox at Bluesbunny Towers. Front man Raymond Weir - previously convicted by Judge Bluesbunny of being a purveyor of clever tunes - has been promising this album for some time so, without further ado, it was put into the CD player.
Given that it has taken over 2 years to record this album, it is perhaps no surprise that it is all big production here with every song stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink. Having said that, it still takes until the fourth track - "Less Than Nothing" - before the magic found on their first album resurfaces. As always, there are influences from the finest sources of intelligent pop music like XTC, Squeeze and the Maypops aligned with a nice epic or two (like "1969"). Up-tempo numbers like "Aggrodisiac" work well too but the choice cut on the album is "Janine" which is delicately seasoned by the suitably salacious piano of Giles Tingey.
There's a lot to enjoy in this album but the Eisenhowers are guilty of a bit of self indulgence here with a few songs exceeding their welcome. The good parts outnumber the mundane, however, so this one gets a qualified recommendation for music lovers with a bit of maturity in their tastes.