I have long been a fan of Backwater Records, one of those labels who continually release material of incredibly high quality from bands that many people outside a small circle will probably have never heard of. Here we have a case in point with the third album by Tiny Clocks, who comprise Steve Mann and Marck Love. They realised there was quite a lot of material left which they had written between the release of their first and second albums, so towards the end of 2019 they went into the studio with drummer Corin Robinson and finally record them. There are seventeens songs, with a total running time of 50 minutes, and it is almost as if the last 50 years have never happened, as here we have an album steeped in psychedelia and great pop numbers.
Guitars are often jangling as if they have been listening to The Byrds or Buffalo Springfield, and there are plenty of acoustics underlying the main electric, while the keyboards being deployed are utilising that classic Hammond organ sound. Vocals are always front and centre, sung in a baritone as opposed to a tenor, providing gravitas and security to the overall sound. It is impossible not to smile when listening to this, as it is many ways quite a simplistic album packed full of 3-minute numbers that never outstay their welcome, with the listener soon heavily invested in what is going on. Unlike some labels operating at this level, Backwater always release their material physically as well as digitally, and of course they are also easy enough to find on streaming stations. But, we all know how well artists benefit from the last, so why not check them out and then support the band and the label by buying the real thing as this is yet another really solid release from one of the nicest small record companies you will ever come across.
Rating: 7/10
