Well, I've been talking up the lads from the start of the year, so here's what I thought of Viva Brother's debut album.
So this is really crunch time. The talk has been building up all year, from the word go Viva Brother were the return of guitar music to the charts, the much-heralded Britpop revival that we all desperately needed. But after a delayed release date, a few immeasurably catchy tunes and an enforced name change, does ‘Famous First Words’ walk the walk?
Unfortunately, the problem is we’ve heard all the best songs. ‘Famous First Words’ makes no attempt to hide its influences lie very much in the 90's British heyday and makes no claim to be the smartest album released, it’s about hooking guitar melodies and fist-in-the-air shout ‘em loud choruses. So let’s start with the good side.
The singles from the album are unstoppable and irresistibly catchy. Starting from first track ‘New Year’s Day’, the Blur-esque feel is clear but you cannot deny the jangling riff and euphoric release of the chorus. It’s the same for bright and soaring ‘Still Here’ and the instantaneous ‘Darling Buds of May’, which still stands out as a guitar anthem for the year. Album ender ‘Time Machine’ stands out as the best moment; moody guitars, a brooding riff and swelling chorus from Britpop at its best.
But we’ve heard all of them before. Delving deeper, add ‘High Street Low Lives’ to the must-hear list with a boisterous charge, energetic bounce and the excitable line ‘This is real, and I’m free/This is what I wanna be!’. Then their attempt at a Champagne Supernova-moment, ‘Electric Daydream’, with a slower and more arms-waving-hug-your-mates vibe, and guitars wailing in and out, does hit the spot. After that though, it gets a bit barer and every song starts to sound the same.
‘David’ is their transparent attempt at a Tracy Jacks/Digsy’s Dinner throwaway without as much success, while the latter half of the album all blends into one. Beginning with the lumbering ‘Otherside’ (with possibly the best example of the questionable lyrics throughout with chorus ‘Cos’ I got a job, but I don’t work/And I got a car, but I don’t drive/So I’ll see you on the other side’), ‘Fly By Nights’ attempts to be hooking but by this point, the Gallagher-like slurred vocals are waring thin and the guitars all wail in the same way. ‘False Alarm’ also makes little impression; it all melts into one Brit-rocky mess at its worst points.
So let’s get this into perspective. Viva Brother were talked up to be the best thing since sliced bread, the lads talking themselves up as much as anyone, and unfortunately ‘Famous First Words’ hasn’t lived up to the hype. But that’s wrong; they have written some irrepressible tunes, guitar tracks that are much better than anything in the charts and their live show is one that has to be seen. So, through all the talk, Viva Brother aren’t the saviours of British rock, just a good new band who have made a solid debut album.
Slightly disappointed but you still cannot deny those tunes, and here's the best, 'Time Machine'.
NWR
