REVIEW: WIRELESS MAGAZINE - NEVER MIND THE BEATLES...(COMPILATION)

The compilation is probably called that for a joke, but it shows how any new sounds emanating from Liverpool can either be swiftly forgotten or lumped in with Abbey Road an’ all tha’. Historical relevance aside, this compilation courtesy of Wireless Magazine shows the best and worst aspects of Liverpool’s current music scene.

The two opening tracks are cuts from local groups who are both starting to make waves, but with completely different sounds. Folky trio Stealing Sheep, perhaps not as amazing as they’re made out to be, offer a nice line in ethereal pop with ‘Shut Eye’, but lack a definitive bite or hook. With Sound Of Guns, a group very much in ascendancy, they eschew subtlety and clatter their listeners over the head with expansive anthems. The music is tight but the everyman lyrics can grate tremendously. If you like vague promises of inspiration and jam tomorrow, then go wild.

Elsewhere, the best of what Liverpool offers can be found with groups like All We Are, Ninetails and Chasing Infinity. All We Are’s ‘Cardhouse’ is as fragile as the title suggests, Ninetails’ instrumental ‘Rawdon Fever’ is another feather in the cap of these talented lads while the latter’s catchy pop-punk celebration, ‘If Ain’t Broke, Break It’, is a pacey ditty that will stick in yr head for a while yet. An honourable mention goes to The Elemental Orchestra with their swing-laden ‘Science Of The Spirit’; a bouncy track that sadly grinds to a halt with the inclusion of a cringeworthy scouse rap.

Speaking of scouse rap (essentially outlawed with the advent of the 1990 John Aldridge Act), a ‘fine’ example of the art is found on The Fire Beneath The Sea’s ‘I Am’. It might be funny for the tourists but it jars without prejudice in this instance. An otherwise smooth funk tune is ruined by what sounds like a last-minute vocal addition. More’s the pity, but in hedging your bets you realise Wireless have offered a look at the broad spectrum and variety of Liverpool’s sound.

Never Mind The Beatles...can be downloaded for free from HERE