If you live in a large house in Surrey with many lawns and windows and your hobbies include chasing foxes round on horseback, then Churchs Shoes will be familiar to you because you will already be wearing them on your feet. The venerable Northamptonshire cobbler of choice for the monocle wearing classes has been turning out brogues and loafers since Noah was in short trousers and made a stack of cash from well heeled literally posh nobs.
This has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the excellent Church Shoes, a punky, spiky guitar pop four piece from somewhere called Fort Wayne, Indiana, The United States of America. Their shoes are no doubt made by Nike or the Converse company; as is often the way with people who throw balls into baskets and think that playing football involves wearing a suit of armour. However theyre shod, Church Shoes have spunk.
Songwriter and lead singer Nick Allison is clearly blessed with an ear for an infectious and catchy tune, despite being barely out of pampers. Theres vim, vigour, youth and most importantly a pop sensibility that belies the bands tender years all over this, their debut album.
Opener Odell Williamson Bridge is both a love letter and a Dear John note to Indiana, the bands home state. Its an up tempo, countrified jig with some superb lyrics, including the memorable lines: Indiana kiss my ass / You took it all / What did you give me / Yesterday I packed my bags. Sums up the sound of a young promising band upping sticks in search of fame, fortune and fillies perfectly.
Its always inspiring when despite being able to hear traces of influence in a new band, you cant pin them down exactly. This is much the case here with Church Shoes. One minute theyre all acoustic guitars and plaintive harmonies as on Big Bad World, the next theyre slamming down a MASSIVE slam-dance-jump-up-and-down-and-spill-your-cider blowout on High and Naked both a brilliant tribute to Debaser by the Pixies and also a helpful life style guide on two things not to be when pulled over by the police at 3am. Great stuff.
Absolutely top track on the album and guaranteed hit single if it gets on the radio is Spiderz!. Containing elements of shimmering surf guitar and a bonkers lyric about having sex with spiders (it wont work ask Kirsten Dunst. Couldnt get the web off her sheets for weeks) its weird, jaunty, a bit mad and has a chorus that will take up residence in your brain, change the locks and demand squatters rights i.e. it wont leave.
Shawnee Drive is another fast and frenetic number and the album closer. This time, the Shoes (as no one ever calls them) doff their caps to Highway 61 and that thin wild mercury sound that Dylan was looking for. A slight resemblance to Tombstone Blues aside, its another killer tune that will sound great from a festival stage or in a sweaty club.
Exciting stuff from an extremely promising band. With a little radio play, maybe a film soundtrack spot and a solid live reputation they could well be blasting out of a mobile phone on the back of the bus near you very soon.