PAPER MÂCHÉ DREAM BALLOON

The second of the band's two 2015 releases puts on display the acoustic version of the band! Live from the farm!

1. 'Sense' (3:30) I here a little PAUL WELLER in this song--the R&B sensibilities and 'sensible' chorus. A top three song for me. (8.75/10)

2. 'Bone' (2:16) HERMANS HERMITS?! Or KEVIN AYERS or something from the 1960s! Cool! (4.25/5)

3. 'Dirt' (2:50) more airy-fairy early Canterbury sounds and feel (though contemporary band from Devon, MAGIC BUS, was releasing their similarly sounding second album about this time). (4.25/5)

4. 'Paper Mâché Dream Balloon' (2:39) as above. (4/5)

5. 'Trapdoor' (2:38) aside from the gimmicky sounds, this bongo-laden song could've come from the bin of oddball songs released in the 1950s. (4.25/5)

6. 'Cold Cadaver' (2:43) Nothing very special here. (4/5)

7. 'The Bitter Boogie' (4:29) a standard blues boogie with acoustic guitars, harmonica, and reverbed vocals. (8.25/10)

8. 'N.G.R.I. (Bloodstain)' (2:25) Jerry Lee Lewis?! Doesn't work for me. (3/5)

9. 'Time = Fate' (2:26) another vocalist! Over more. By now I'm getting a little tired of the repetitious drum styles. (4/5)

10. 'Time = $$$' (2:04) almost Beatles sounding--mixing Paul's ukulele and Ringo's early drumming beneath John's under-confident singing. Not a great mix. (3.75/5)

11. 'Most of What I Like' (3:17) melodic, luring one in with its laid back feel and sweet vocals. (4.25/10)

12. 'Paper Mâché (2:29) an awesome little early Canterbury-like song'very much in symbiosis with Brit band MAGIC BUS. My favorite song on the album. (4.75/5)

Total Time 33:46

A lot of very brief ditties that are reminiscent of the song lengths and styles of the British pop scene in the 1960s. The drumming often makes me feel as if I'm listening to THE STYLE COUNCIL's Steve Smith, Stu's vocals could be T Rex's MARC BOLAN.

B-/3.5 stars; marked down for its lack of progginess but still an interesting journey back into the 1960s' acoustic psych scene. Try it for yourself!

After the mediocre "Oddments" and the great "I'm In Your Mind Fuzz" from 2014, the band are back in 2015 with two more albums first with "Quarters!" then late in the year they released this record "Paper Mache Dream Balloon". Twelve songs over 34 minutes of light and poppy material that quickly won me over to my surprise. I just love the mood of this one and while it's far from Canterbury it has that same influence on me and I like that positive influence. Besides the usual instruments we get some flute, harmonica, violin, clarinet and sitar.

The sticker on the cd is a quote from The Guardian saying "psych-soul-surf-fuzz-garage-spacerock-jazz-diy-shamans". To me it's more simple than that but man that three song run right in the middle of the album of "Trapdoor", "Cold Cadaver" and "The Bitter Boogie" is fantastic and those are my top three. Interesting they start off with four tracks in the same mood and style and it really sets the tone for the album. I like this. Catchy and at times upbeat at times chilled as we get "Sense", "Bone", "Dirt" and the title track to end that run. Then my three favourites including the too catchy "Trapdoor" which could have fit nicely on "I'm In Your Mind Fuzz" with the chorus repeating that word but always ending with the word "trap".

The record ends sort of hit and miss for me with those final five numbers but in my world this is a 4 star record and one that can change my mood bringing in some light which I like.