My first exposure to The Len Price 3 – of whom incidentally, none of the members are actually called Len Price – was a Southern Comfort ad in which their song ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ accompanied images of beautiful people clinking glasses and smiling through gritted teeth in a vein attempt to convince us that they’re having fun; the kind of false jollity we’ve come to expect from such promotions. At first it was difficult to discern whether the song was some lost archive from the 60s or merely a jingle masquerading as such. In actual fact The Len Price 3 have been playing their trade since 2005, crafting a sound that pays homage to the best of the British Invasion as well as a few of garage rock’s more recent practitioners, namely fellow Medway resident Billy Childish and his many associated acts.

“Pictures” is unabashed in its references, from the propulsive Kinks guitar riffs to the soaring Who-like harmonies, but to criticise The Len Price 3 for pillaging from rock n’ roll royalty would be like criticising Bob Dylan for ripping off Woody Guthrie, or The Stones for appropriating old blues licks. The band performs with such unaffected joy and enthusiasm that it is impossible to dismiss their songs as a mere exercise in pastiche.


The title track, while propelled by rapid-fire Keith Moon drumming and the kind of wry social comment that Ray Davies excelled at, has more in common with The Libertines’ shambolic punk rock than its 60s progenitors. It’s a near perfect pop song, combining pure rock and roll energy with subtle song craft. ‘The Girl Who Became a Machine’ reworks The Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me’ with terrific results, the jerky rhythm perfectly complimented by sprinklings of Hammond organ and a wonderfully frenetic guitar solo. Meanwhile, ‘Mr. Grey’ is a prime slice of “Help” era Beatles, exploring the same folky chord changes and downbeat lyrics a newly invigorated John Lennon delved into during his Dylan-inspired mid-sixties peak.

Some may find The Len Price 3’s music derivative, but when the ideas are executed as well as they are here, does it really matter?