COMING SOON FROM 'APE'
THE BEGINNING
Since releasing their debut power-pop album in 1999, 'Almond Tea',
Pugwash, aka songwriter Thomas Walsh and friends, has become an instant favourite
of Irish and British music critics alike, many of whom nominated 'Almond Tea'
as their album of the year. The Hotpress rated it - only 4 weeks
after its release - as one of the Top 30 albums of the Millennium
(actually 23, ahead of Suede, Orbital and almost everybody else you'd care to name!)
As a result, Thomas Walsh has been singled out by many critics as
one of the most talented new songwriters to emerge on the Irish scene in recent years.
Meantime Pugwash played stand-out headline gigs throughout Ireland, in Dublin,
Cork, Galway, Waterford and Kerry, following on from a nationwide
radio tour with additional stops in Sligo, Limerick, Longford and Dundalk,
receiving rave reviews that echo fully the response of critics to the album.
Support gigs included high-profile appearances with Jason Falkner (ex-Jellyfish),
Glen Tilbrook (ex-Squeeze), Cotton Mather, and Martin Stephenson, amongst many others.
THE MIDDLE BIT
2001 saw Thomas Walsh returning to the studio with his old mate Keith Farrell,
who had so successfully co-produced 'Almond Tea', to begin work on
Pugwash's "Difficult Second Album" (actually its working title!).
Working in a comfortable domestic set-up allowed these two play with the toys,
get in their friends and take their time to turn out a splendid mix of songs,
some old, some new, that demonstrate once again Walsh's strength in
depth as a songwriter of classic pop.
The result, after 18 months, was 'Almanac'. Following the radio release of
key track 'Apples' in April, the album itself was released in Ireland on 21 June 2002.
It became a cult classic culminating in "Almanac" being voted number 61 in the
Hot Press top 100 Irish albums of ALL-TIME, as voted by the top
Irish musicians of the past 30 years including U2, Van Morrison,
Snow Patrol and Damien Rice.
THE HERE AND NOW and…..?
Most public and press alike knew that the band had to step up to the plate,
in more ways than one, for the release of their third record….And By Jove They Did!!
Not only did 2003 see the release of "Earworm" in Australia (An amalgam of the
first two discs re-mastered at the famed Studio 301 in Sydney and released on
cult Church/John Kilbey label Karmic Hit) it also saw the band return to the
studio to record what eventually became "Jollity". A certain Mr. Daragh Bohan
had been involved in some of the legalities with the Karmic Hit deal down under
and he quickly became good friends with the band.
As it was a life long dream of music loving Mr. Bohan he quickly decided to
nab The Pugs and set up his very own label. Just the small matter of a
name for this venture…..? Well, Thomas had mentioned to Daragh that the
working title of the new album was "Estd.: 1969". Heads were quickly put
together and eyebrows raised when it transpired that all the main protagonists
involved in the project had a close affinity to 1969.
It was agreed then…..1969 Records it was!!
2004 saw the band recording in Dublin and Studio 2 at Abbey Road where
the strings, which had been scored by Dave Gregory (XTC), were then
conducted by him. The string quartet on the day were only famed session
players and unique artists in their own right, The Section (Jon Brion, James Blunt,
Sean Lennon, Kanye West, David Bowie to name but a very small few).
Further recording was completed by famed songwriter and
brass and string arranger Eric Matthews in Portland, Oregon - U.S.A.
September 2005 saw "Jollity's" release to a plethora of amazing reviews
for the album and sheer respectful plaudits for the amazing level of
quality of a label so new -
THIS HAS FELT LIKE THE FIRST RELEASE FROM PUGWASH.
And in so many ways it is, yet the band are very proud of their back catalogue
and one which is a sleeping giant amongst the struggling publishing game.
All of which will be explored thoroughly over the next 12 months.
There's also the tiny matter of Jollity's impending release in the U.K,
a first for PUGWASH. October 31st is the day for that celebration
but plenty will be happening in the run-up to that particular release so go
nowhere and be prepared - BE VERY PREPARED…..!!!!!
For nearly eight years now Dublin songwriter Thomas Walsh of Pugwash has been
conjuring up perfect pop gems that have seen the band garner many plaudits and
some all too brief stints in the charts. Sometimes you just fall head over heels in l
ove with a record. I did so with their 2005 album, Jollity. It is gorgeous pop
melodies, amorous lyrics and un-rivalled song writing took a piece of my heart
which I shall never reclaim. It was like the first time I heard Revolver by the
Fabs or Stanley Road by Paul Weller. Every song seemed to leap out at me
proclaiming its brilliance and hitting all the right lyrical and musical funny bits.
Wherever I was in my life at the time, this was my record. I would listen to it
over and over again and always I found something new that I could latch onto.
My first listen to their latest effort '11 Modern Antiquities' threw up an interesting question.
How do I begin to do justice to this remarkable piece of work? I am at pains here.
In the absence of the adequate superlatives, it is a masterpiece, plain and simple.
Ably assisted yet again by bass player Keith Farrell the album also features Neil Hannon, Nelson Bragg, Michael Penn and Johnny Boyle on percussion, Walsh navigates us
through yet another great album. Opening this merry little shindig is Take Me Away a harmonious nugget that sounds as equally brilliant on the radio as it does on the record.
All the essential Walsh song writing elements are there, the melody that emanates
so naturally, the up-tempo beat, it is the perfect single. The initial crash of
Cluster Bomb gives way to the luscious strings of Dave Gregory whose string
arrangements on both this album and Jollity is not to be underestimated.
They seem to lend an urgency to the tune, dashing up and down while embellished
by the lovely ivory tinkling and backing vocals of guest Hannon from the
Divine Comedy. Here is a gorgeous, love song with handsome Brian Wilson
like orchestration that tells a tale of yearning and features the immortal line,
Stop me finding fear in everything I see and hear. It is one of those everyman
lyrics that John Lennon would pull out from time to time.
It shows Walsh's lyrical strength. He always seems to strike that chord without
being too wordy. I always refer to the light and shade, diversity if you will, that
any songwriter needs to be great. Walsh has it in buckets.
It is not hard to hear the influence of The Beatles,
The Beach Boys and Jeff Lynne in his music.
Many imitate, but very few make their own sound. Pugwash are a band that have.
Walsh is never afraid to try new things and he moves readily between moods and
tempo without ever losing momentum or the listener's interest.
This is evident on the next two tracks. Its So Fine is a sixties pop rollick while
Song For You is an attractive acoustic led number that features some
wonderfully subtle percussion by Boyle. Lyrically, again, on My Genius
Walsh is first-rate. You fell for my genius, but my genius is out of a bottle.
It's another little belter that displays that Pugwash pop intellect so eloquently. Its instantly likeable and another example of Pugwash's immediacy.
Limerance (a study into the scientific nature of romantic love no less!) is the song
I keep coming back to. The fuzzed vocals and sparkling piano are almost dream like.
The backing vocals and harmonies embroider it before a wonderful guitar break
(by none other than Michael Penn) and bass line take over and push it into entirely
different terrain. Your Friend will surely be the next single.
It's perfect pop for the airwaves.
It's a typical Pugwash song in the vein of Its Nice to be Nice or This Could Be Good.
The kind of tune that turns a bad day into a good one when it comes on. I can't emphasise how good this album is. Go and buy it, listen… embrace… let it take over your life!
redtrackmusic.com
Rob McNamara
arriving as a fan performing XTC songs and here he is
years later working, co-writing and signed to Andy Partridge's
APE label with a CD on its way...dreams do come true!
