COURTEENERS
Pink Cactus Cafe (Ignition)
Manchester indie titans the Courteeners return with their seventh album, whose guests include Australian rockers DMA’s – who will join the band on their UK tour in November. The song in question, The Beginning Of The End, places anthemic vocals against a piano-and-guitar instrumental backing. And while the whistle-along chorus of Pink Cactus Cafe’s title track draws you into a summery roadtrip album, Surrender (featuring Brooke Combe) has a piercing riff and the angst of their 2008 debut, St Jude.
The dichotomy between this and the Ibiza bops found elsewhere on the album are stark: take Lulu, and its funky beat and jovial vocals, or Solitude Of The Night Bus, a distorted synthy number about taking solitude from life. Bitten By Unseen Teeth is an album highlight for this listener, with its Sam Fender-via-Bruce Springsteen chorus and fierce drumming. For much of the album, though, adjust your musical palate to beach party mode to extract maximum enjoyment.
words DAVID JAMES
