Those south-west rangers Ubiquitous Meh! are back with another blast through the whirling mind of Luke Richards. Hefting his post-punk bass and once again enlisting Jodie Saunders on organ and Michael Dugdale on drums, they rip through seven new tracks, some barely lasting a minute and a half before the next one arrives.
These songs do feel stronger, with the organ ruder and more insistent while Michael’s drums are more upfront, pushing harder than on The Love Pseudomorph. Meanwhile, Luke’s acrobatic bass is livelier and the voice more muscly, as if the messages are more essential — although there are moments where he sounds as if he is in the middle of a sandwich.
Opener “Oddville” finds the groaning drone of the one-note organ utterly irresistible, while the simple skiffle drums and wobbly jelly bass lock horns and push on. The bass is joyful and agile, and these three diverse elements mean that nobody is overwhelming anybody else. The bass on “Patriotic For Earth” is supremely gothy and for a second it does a good impression of something crawling out of a Leeds bedsit in 1985 with a dark scuzz that is buoyed by the positive and mildly surreal lyrics. With titles like “Ball Of Dissonance” and “I’m Ambivalent”, you know you aren’t just dealing with day-to-day observations. The chewy and mildly dirty organ tone clears the way on “Workin’ On My Lore” while the bass skips around it with its arms aloft, loving life. The disparity is a delight and although apparently opposites, they mesh really well with drums upholding the structure but also surging with energy. “Just One More Thing” gives the impression that the Blackpool Tower organ has escaped and is being pushed down the beach, dragging fairy lights and toffee apples in its wake. This imagery is not unusual and the post-punk carnival vibe continues on “Ball Of Dissonance” with Like’s vocals echoing across a lake like Tarzan, all soft edges and cavernous yells,Ironically, Luke sounds anything but ambivalent on “I’m Ambivalent” with the most intense vocal so far, while closer “Don’t Encourage Them” allows Jodie the chance to carry the tune with a cute little organ line, leaving the previous smeared textures in the rear-view mirror. The childlike joy apes the bass and leaves the listener grinning and wishing for more; which if you happen to have bought the CD is exactly what you will receive with the seven Love Pseudomorph tracks, reviewed here previously, tacked on the end.
Oddville gives the new listener an opportunity to assess their artistic progress and still barely takes up half an hour of your time. I can assure you though, as ever, this will be a half-hour very well spent.-Mr Olivetti-
