The Len Price 3
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Pictures - The Len Price 3 Album Review
Album Review
In a nutshell, The Len Price 3 provide pure, refreshing, back to basics rock and roll; 'Pictures', the Kent trios' latest offering makes no deviation. On their MySpace page, the band describe themselves as "garage pop" and pride themselves on their "driving energy and catchy hooks" which is no word of a lie; 'Pictures' is an energetic collection of thirteen simple vs/chr/vs pop songs, all no longer than three minutes long, with interjections of simple riff-y guitar solo.
The opening track, 'Pictures', is a quick burst of a song at only two minutes long. Its verse has the attitude of the Jam, even the Clash, but the chorus is poppy, catchy and ridden with harmonised vocals echoing a 60's rock and roll feel with driving percussion, tambourine and all. The same poppy, rock and roll feel continues through the Beach Boys/Beatles-esque 'Keep Your Eyes On Me' and well into the following eleven numbers. Precise vocal harmonies and oooh-ing backing vocals in the same vein as the likes of the Beach Boys and the Beatles are executed to perfection throughout. The same energy and enthusiasm is sustained right up until the concluding three numbers of the album; track eleven, 'Jack in The Greens', a more down tempo number with additional string parts and similar scalic chord passages to 'Lazing On A Sunny Afternoon' and 'Waterloo Sunset'.
As is already clear from the previous paragraphs of this review, The Len Price 3's influences are blatantly obvious and plentiful; rewind to the Kinks, The Who, The Beatles et al, hints of The Ramones, The Clash and The Jam, moving to the more contemporary, earlier Oasis - singer and guitarist Glenn Page definitely strikes a Liam Gallagher-esque whine at times ('The Man Who Used To Be', for example). 'You Tell Lies', track nine, is reminiscent of the Specials' 'Too Much Too Young', just without the overt ska groove; the greats from the history of rock and pop music really do echo clear throughout this, the Len Price 3's third studio album release. Remaining true to the feel of the music they produce; 'Pictures' was also recorded on analogue to emulate the vintage sound of their inspirations, and a fine move that was too - it's a wonderfully refreshing and crisp sound.
In conclusion then, a fine effort; catchy, upbeat, short and sweet, simple pop songs from a trio keen to emphasise fun through a disc's worth of lively audio pleasure. So it's not contemporary or groundbreaking, but it's refreshing because it isn't those things. Thumbs up to The Len Price 3.
