Album Review: Standard Fare – Out Of Sight, Out Of Town
After such an strong debut with debut Noyelle Beat I was always a little worried that a second album would be ruined by the label wanting it to sound a little more polished and commercially acceptable. Thankfully from the minute ‘Look Of Lust’ started my fears were laid to rest; sticking to the old adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, Standard Fare still sound like awkward teenagers, Emma’s occasionally overwrought vocals still stray off-key (no autotune here!) and the jangly guitars remain intact. The result is another direct hit for Standard Fare with the 12 track ‘Out of Sight, Out of Town’. Apparently named after their first choice for a band name, the album confidently delivers more of the same gorgeous C86 janglyness (‘Suitcase’, ‘Kicking Puddles’) and slow burning ballads (‘Darth Vader’ a song about a need for space in a relationship). Standard Fare and are at their best when they’re in call and response mode and it’s for that reason alone that ‘Dead Future’ is the real stand out track. Well, that and the brilliant ‘ba ba bada bite my tongue‘ line.
Last time round Standard Fare’s songs concentrated on love and relationships, on ‘Out Of Sight Out Of Town’ the songs revolve around no-strings sex, most notably on ‘Call Me Up’ (‘I’ll tell you know that this will never mean anything’) – I’m already looking forward to album number three where band sing about teenage pregnancies on the Jeremy Kyle Show!
Coming in at 36 minutes, ‘Out Of Sight Out Of Town’ feels a little short, but then quality is always better than quantity, and this is bursting with quality. 9/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Melodic
Listen to ‘Darth Vader’ from the album:
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