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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Fronted by the somewhat unfortunately named Shirley Lee, Spearmint are one of the few truly "indie" bands, sorting out the producing and designing for themselves. This lends their first proper album a pleasing quality that is half slapdash schoolboy enthusiasm, half obstinate loner spirit. The heavy Motown and Northern Soul influences hinted at in the first two tracks burst out all over the exuberant "Sweeping The Nation", a tribute to all the bands who never made it. The lyrics are pure look-on-the-bright-side philosophy, although this doesn't stop a couple of more melancholy gems from sneaking in (the sweet "A Third Of My Life" and the ambitious "You Are Still My Brother"). Shamelessly stealing from the Style Council and even New Order in places, and throwing in the occasional obscenity (skip "Start Again" if you're easily offended), Spearmint are sometimes haphazard but always endearing. --Sarah Brinig
CD Description
Spearmint will play the album live with special guests The Junipers at the ICA in London on Wedsnesday 30 September (only UK show) The album includes Indie anthem “Sweeping The Nation” (featured on current Britpop collection “Common People”), “A Trip Into Space” (taken into the Top 5 the following year by David Morales), and Indie club favourite “We're Going Out”. In forthcoming Zooey Deschanel & Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie “500 days Of Summer”, Spearmint are rightly described as “the band you really should be listening to”. The release of the album will be accompanied by the publication of a book by US Image Comics celebrating the songs of Spearmint and ShirleyLee. The book is 12” by 12” format, comprising graphic novellas inspired by 19 songs, including tracks from “A Week Away” such as Sweeping Tracks: a week away / isn't it great to be alive / sweeping the nation / a third of my life / we're going out / start again / best ballroom / you carry this with you / a trip into space / it won't be long now / making you laugh / you are still my brother / Saturday / PLUS 11 EXTRA TRACKS* ELEVEN EXTRA TRACKS / BRAND NEW EP 'LIFE IN REVERSE' absense / greetings number one / a signal or a sign / life in reverse / my birthday present to myself / outside the roundhouse / come on feel the lemonheads / absense greetings number two / BONUS TRACKS hair / lost on the way / the wilderness years
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
On first listening it would be easy to lump Spearmint in with the Easy Listening wave of the early noughties...vis Kings of convenience, Wannadies. But there are more powerful forces at work here. While Shirley's tongue is very firmly located in his cheek this album has a emotional power which many bands exhibiting a similar vibe lack - Start Again, Making you laugh and Third of my life are touching and moving examinations of successful and unsuccessful relationships which rank with the best of the balladeers.
It's with the upbeat, 60's inspired vibes where Spearmint really score, however. Their grooves are never short of infectious, Shirley's voice has a warm and infectious timbre and the overall sound and harmony is beautifully crafted.
It is the amazing consistency of the songwriting, arrangement and production which marks out this album as something special. Maybe this is borne out of adversity and the long apprenticeship which these boys have served. The construction of the songs is never less than excellent and the melodic, lyrical and harmonic content always hints at a great deal of attention in the studio and rehearsal room.
Listening to this album is like a ray of musical sunshine...no matter how jaded you feel it will put a smile on your face.
Sounds good? Buy it. Love, Neil
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
With so many excellent songs this album is on repeat play at the moment. The catchy commercial title track, Sweeping The Nation & We're Going Out are wrapped around feel good songs like Isn't It Great to be Alive and indie classics It Won't Be Long Now. Bringing pop, indie guitar and some wonderful keyboards and backing vocals together in perfection. Shirley's voice is so clear and the lyrics so poignant it's impossible not to relate to every song. Just a wonderful album!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Isn't Spearmint just the band that we all have anticipated for years, more or less? At least their tunes tend to stick like glue to my mind. I always get extremely happy when I listen to this record, but I suppose that's not uncommon at all among people who listen to Shirley Lee's songs... But some of the songs they play live, especially the newest ones, are even better than those on 'A week Away'. Oh, a new album, give us it!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Unfashionable, but endearing and rewarding
Spearmint know what they like, and they want us to know what they like too. Wearing their many influences proudly - from Northern Soul, through indie stalwarts Pulp and New Order,... Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2003 by "darena67"
S'minty Fresh Pop that see's the world through 4 eyes
Shirley, James, Ronan and Simon are all big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and after years of plugging away playing every toilet in Britain and putting togeather... Read more
Published on 15 Dec 1999 by stuffyg@netscape.net
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