Bring It Back

This album starts with a belter - 'Theme From McAlmont And Butler' is a fantastic track - drums getting down a groove coupled with a dirty guitar from Bernard and wailing vocals from David go into a similar sounding chorus before going into yet another glorious chorus, this time with sweeping strings and a choir - what an opener.

Track 2 is the lead single, 'Falling'. Slightly reminiscent of 'Yes', this is a real grower, sure to produce many embarrassing attempts to match McAlmont's falsetto!

'Different Strokes' is a jaunty pop-soul song with added harmonica, strings, and a choir. This is a real summery, feel-good song.

'Can We Make It' - like the previous track, this is another feel-good song, this time with brass stabs.

'Blue' - Excellent acoustic guitar work on this slightly melancholy song.

'Bring It Back' - a funky electric guitar heralds another bright and breezy track.

'Where R U Now?'- Driven throughout by a head-nodding drum beat, this has a beautiful chorus melody.

'Sunny Boy' - nice enough when it's on, but a bit forgettable.

'Make It Right' - Another gorgeous track, laid back guitar licks swathed in strings and amazing vocals.

'Beat' - an 'epic' track, slow burning to a climax of gentle strings, glad to be alive vocals, and a guitar solo, before ebbing away with swooshes and a brief piano solo.

Overall this album is the very much the sum of it's parts - incredible guitar playing, producing and music from Bernard, coupled with David's outstanding, unique vocals. As this was recorded as a whole album (rather than the collection mentioned earlier), it is much more coherent than the previous record, with a gorgeous rich, warm sound throughout. I guess if I had to sum the album up in one word, it would be blissful.

In this age where the music business focuses more on the 'business' aspect, it's refreshing to hear an album made by people who want to make music for the sheer joy of it.

M&B (that's McAlmont and Butler, by the way, not Mitchell and Butler the midland-based brewers) open proceedings with "Theme from McAlmont and Butler", a manifesto that builds to a grand scale with guitars, strings and vocal acrobatics before launching you headlong into "Falling", another epic production with an irresistible melody, a sort of "Yes" part two. They diversify as the album progresses through infectious soul-tinged pop and an interlude in the form of delicate acoustic number "Blue", which Jeff Buckley might have been proud of. The serried ranks of guitars and strings return for a rousing finale on "Beat" that leaves you wanting more. Pop music hasn't been much fun in recent years but M&B clearly aren't another assembly line product. Their recent tour, eschewing the orchestral backing and pumping up the guitar, showed us a more rock interpretation of their sound. McAlmont swooped and soared while Butler tumbled about the stage, riffing away like an indie Angus Young. Blimey! It was an exciting performance, although two girls in front of us wouldn't have known as they spent the whole evening texting their mates. And I must confess to being a tiny bit disappointed that M&B did not finish with an onstage punch-up. They really do seem to like each other again! That's OK, we may well get a third instalment of their theatrical pop-rock. Don't keep us waiting another seven years for it.