The
Milltown Brothers – Long Road (Stanley Records)
CD
/ DL
31
July 2015
8.5
/ 10
Lancashire Indie quintet return with their fourth album.
Perhaps
it’s because The Milltown Brothers come from Lancashire.
Perhaps
they evoke memories of seeing them play live at Burnley Mechanics Theatre on
their Slinky tour.
Perhaps
it’s standing on the terraces at Turf Moor knowing they may well be watching
Burnley play too.
Perhaps
it’s being asked at one of their gigs the origins of a psychedelic BFC t-shirt.
Perhaps
it’s the pride of seeing a band from the next town being touted by NME as the
next big thing.
Perhaps
it’s seeing Which Way Should I Jump creep inside the Top 40 singles.
Perhaps
it’s the glow created when they contributed the theme to the BBCs Preston Front
drama.
Perhaps
is could all have been different had some dodgy dealings by A&M Records not
stopped Here I Stand going Top 10.
Perhaps
it’s the fact that all five members are back again for their first album in
twenty-five years.
Perhaps
it’s because they were once supported by a little group called Oasis.
Perhaps
it’s because they were one of the finest jangly Indie guitar bands around at
the time.
Perhaps
many a Lancashire lad wanted to be in The Milltown Brothers.
Perhaps
it’s their ability to still record brilliant, infectious tunes like they’ve
never been away.
Perhaps
it’s because Long Road will grow and grow on you with each and every listen.
Perhaps
it’s because the title track and new single is an absolute belter.
Perhaps
Rockville is one of their finest tunes, with a chorus that sends goosebumps
down your arms.
Perhaps
the involvement of producers Mark Jones and Mark Phythian (Coldplay, but don’t
let that put you off) shows the confidence of the eleven tracks on board.
Perhaps
Hideaway – with surely one of the longest lines in a song ever – is a hark back
to the classic Indie era of the early 90s.
Perhaps
Long Road is an album that could see The Milltown Brothers repeat their huge success
in Europe and Japan.
Perhaps
the hordes of fans that adored them a quarter of a century ago will re-appear
and lovingly clutch this album to the chests.
Perhaps
Portrait has a fab guitar riff that sees it as one of the many highlights of
the album.
Perhaps
Boy Kisses The Girl is just a cavalcade of fab guitars and catchy melodies.
Perhaps
you can imagine banks of ecstatic forty-something’s jumping around to the rocky
beat of Part Of Me.
Perhaps
Alive is a gorgeous and fitting end to a surprisingly good album.
Perhaps
The Milltown Bothers have just released one of the most perfect guitar-led,
Indie albums of the year.
Links
The Milltown Brothers website
The Milltown Brothers on Twitter
The Milltown Brothers on Facebook
Published on Louder Than War 9/07/15 - here
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