The self-titled debut album by The Surfing Magazines, a rock band with members of The Wave Pictures and Slow Club, made it to the top 10 of my year-end list in 2017. The London based four-piece now have released their sophomore LP Badgers of Wymeswold, with 16 bright, fun new songs. The cover art is a collage with cut out photos of badgers, and actually the music is also a kind of collage – of styles and influences. You’ll hear experimental rock, catchy power pop, vintage folk, sun beaten harmony pop, surf-noir, and polished garage rock, incorporated into both guitar rockers and softer ballads, tracks that also include free form saxophone parts, eerie violins and melancholic piano playing. David Tattersall (lead guitar, vocals), Charles Watson (rhythm guitar, keys, vocals), Franic Rozycki (bass, vocals), and Dominic Brider (drums, vocals) provide a characteristic sound, not at least thanks to the distinctive vocals. Listen to standouts Pink Ice Cream (irresistible six bar blues with wistful lyrics relating to the childhood of the band members), and the title track (drawn from Tattersall’s nightmare vision about his home town’s population of self governing people; he also depicted his referenced dreams in the album artwork). Summer is back for a while.
Badgers of Wymeswold is out now digitally, on CD and double vinyl LP through Moshi Moshi Music.
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