Cotton Crown - Vinyle Jaune

Description

The Tubs' second album, *Cotton Crown*, sees the Celtic jangle outfit venture into darker, more personal territory, while continuing to hone their trademark brand of highly addictive songs. This is a real step up, as the band broadens its sonic palette to incorporate a kaleidoscopic array of influences: everything from soulful pub rock ("Chain Reaction") to Hüsker Dü aggression ("One More Day") to melancholic sophisti-pop ("Narcissist"). This is largely due to Owen 'O' Williams' vocal performance – often compared to a young Richard Thompson – and the frank songwriting and dark humour of his lyrics. The essential trick of *Cotton Crown* is to offset Owen's lyrical darkness with joyful, catchy bursts of pop perfection. This is thanks in particular to the guitar, which throughout the album effortlessly glides between Marr-esque jangle virtuosity, Pentangle's driving folk-rock, and the hi-fi grooves of contemporary bands such as Tops or The 1975. Add to this the rhythm section which attacks each song with power-pop ferocity, recalling Guided by Voices at their drunken best – and you have the recipe for indie rock excellence. For fans of Richard Thompson, The La's, The Charlatans, Aztec Camera, Superchunk, The Chills, Felt, The Smiths, Pentangle. Yellow vinyl.