Search - Pugwash :: Jollity

PUGWASH WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD

Mr. Christopher J. Welch | Essex, Uk | 03/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've ever wondered what ELO would sound like in 2008 or mourned the passing of the recently expired XTC then take heart - Pugwash are here to warm the cockles and put a smile back on your face.

Released at the end of 2005 'Jollity' received rave reviews from the critics and established songwriter and frontman Thomas Walsh as a perveyor of outstanding Beatlesque pop. With the imminent release of a new Pugwash CD there has never been a better time to revisted the mighty 'Jollity'.

Imagine Oasis with brains and you're half way there on songs such as 'Something New', 'I Want you Back In my Life' and 'This Could Be Good' - McCartneyesque melodies and gorgeous harmonies to the fore. They even 'do' a great Beachboys on the bouncy single 'Nice To be Nice' and on the Andy Partridge co-authored 'Anchor' Pushwash have fashioned a track that stands shoulder to shoulder with the best of late period XTC.

There really isn't any filler on 'Jollity'. It's an old fashioned record (in the sense that it doesn't tail off after the first 3 tracks) with rich, clear production and songs that get under your skin.

Pugwash are going to have to come up with something really special to top 'Jollity'.





cw"

Deserves to be huge...

Daniel Corry | 11/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK - I copied this from someone more eloquent than me:

Nice to be Nice - has the by now trademark Pugwash sound - has a bit of Penny Lane going on there - rattles along nicely - nice guitar (ok will stop using the word nice) Reminds me of something else but can't quite place it, now that has been said about Jeff Lynne too. Quite rightly released as a single/sampler from the album.



Black Dog - this is a grower - I like it a lot - some surprisingly happy brass in there considering the subject matter. A very accurate description of depression but also a great tune. Air are an obvious influence on this track - a classic already.



A Rose in a Garden of Weeds - it starts with some great strings - I really like the harpsicord - reminds me a bit of Whisper in the Night (ELO first album) - another grower i suspect - a good underlying tune - I like the chorus.



I Want You Back in My Life -classic Pugwash - to me this sounds like Almanac - I in fact checked the Almanc track listing to see this was not on it - but I have been listening to this non stop. The cd version obviously knocks the hell out of the highly compressed version I downloaded - am hearing it properly for the first time - superb. A lot of emotion going on here which comes accross on the cd. The fade out is especially good.



This Could Be Good - my sentiments when I put on the album this morning - after the emotion of the previous track a mood breaker was needed and this fits the bill - the Beatles are back - sounds like a Beatles song (All My Loving springs to mind) - Oasis eat your heart out this is bloody good. Very tempting to release as a single.



Poles Together -this one is ok - doesn't do too much for me at the moment (at this point takes break from reviewing to make coffee) came back to a nice strings break and enjoy the rest of this mellow song. Ends very well.



Even I - this has my attention immediately - could have been my theme song a few years back. This is a great song. Well done TW my favourite so far. Has some strange bits in it indeed not for casual listening -has a bit of a Revolution 9 and Tightrope feeling to it which moves effortlessly into



Something New - I missed that this was a different track to Even I it flowed so naturally from it - this is what I would term a standard Pugwash song - has all the elements you expect - this one does nothing special but nothing wrong either.



Waltz 714 - I like the begining - shades of BBC World Service - this is one dark song - to be listened to late at night with a glass of wine and a cigar in total darkness. Reminds me of Two Tribes with the spooky radio/film voice.



Lullaby 1 - after the last song I needed cheering up - and this does it - TW has a bit of a cheek he introduces a ghostly feel in the previous song and in this one he tells us he will turn the ghosts (which after all he created) away. But I like it.



Anchor - Great first line - i like the nautical theme - I can imagine this song in a huge stadium - as a mellow all hold hands together type song - a very good end to the album.



Overall Impression - builds very much on the strong songwriting of Almanac - this is a band finding its sound. This is TW's Face the Music. I really like the use of brass instruments in many of the songs. This is a 30somethings album. No real rockers in this and nothing quite as quirky as Monorail, but this album is more consistent and mature than the previous two. This will be in my cd drawer for a considerable time to come. Deserves to be huge."