THE WAVE PICTURESInstant Coffee Baby
Clearly adhering to the notion that, if the songs are good enough, there’s no need to tart them up with over-production, London trio The Wave Pictures recorded Instant Coffee Baby on little more than a beaten up old eight-track. The result is a charmingly lo-fi and raw collection of woozy songs that fall nicely between 1950‘s rock ‘n’ roll and some of the more appealing aspects of Britpop.
Standout track We Come Alive is a good indicator of this, with 50s surf-rock guitar and handclaps accompanying a simple chorus that bursts with harmonies. David Tattersall’s vocal ranges from a warble to a strained wail and is similar to Hefner’s Darren Hayman, which is hardly surprising as The Wave Pictures have previously acted as his backing band and support. Admittedly, his voice is a little jarring at first, but it makes perfect sense in context with the very clever, very English lyrics, which tell stories of life and love with a quintessential wit that is reminiscent of Morrissey or Alex Turner. During Friday Night In Loughborough, he talks of a drunken night out: “That’s how you ripped your tights/But you made it back on your feet alright/With the girl from Baker’s Oven holding back your hair.” Then the guitars and la la la’s lead us out of the song like Herman Düne playing with Chuck Berry. It’s all delightful stuff, and there is such depth here that the songs grow increasingly appealing with every listen, making Instant Coffee Baby a thoroughly rewarding album.
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