Altsounds - Attic Lights - Friday Night Lights (Album) & Wendy (Single)

Do you love pop music? Or have you developed a disdain for feckless whiny teenagers lately? Well i'm in the latter but don't get me wrong i love pop music if it's along the lines of The Beatles circa 1963 type of pop music and if your with me on that then i'm sure this album is for you.

It will come as no surprise to find that this album has been produced by Francis MacDonald of Teenage Fanclub becuase this has the flavour of all those early Fannies' albums with more than a sly nod to The Beach Boys with sweeping harmonies, bells chiming, and strings all ticked on the checklist.

Despite this album just getting a release there have already been four singles that have appeared at somepoint over the last year in the shape of the first track 'Never Get Sick Of The Sea' with it's driving drums and 'Ba Ba BaDa Da Da Da's', second track 'Bring You Down' which takes a more 60's western march before giving it that surf-pop chorus. 'God' which is almost a Fanclub track to be honest it's like a rip-off (not necessarily a bad thing) and of course the latest single which you may have heard 'Wendy' which for some reason reminds me of 'Buddy Holly' by Weezer if Brian Wilson had attacked it in his sandpit all those years ago.

For all those single releases there are still better songs on this album such as 'The Dirty Thirst' which is almost country-pop pastiche but the best is saved for the final bow in the combo of 'Last Night Sunshine'; which can only be described as luscious in it's vocals despite being about waking up to find your love has left you, and the final track 'Winter On' which is the big trademark ballad that gets wheeled out by bands but not a lot can pull it off quite so effectively as here with it's chant along refrain that is sure to be sung at all major festivals next summer by beer soaked men with tatoo's hugging each other and swaying, here's a heads-up 'hey baby you're the cause of me'.

Glasgow's Attic Lights have made a wonderful pop record and it is pop there's no getting away from that but I'd take this over any steaming pile Britney can muster any day.

Wendy - Released 6th October 2008

'Wendy' is a perfectly polished pop song that seems almost effortless in it's delivery. Swelling with strings and flourishing harmonies a-plenty it's almost too sickly sweet a song, but you can't help but enjoy it even if deep down you hate this kind of thing you just know it'll stick in your head and leaving you humming along when you least expect.