A Brisbane band. And they sound it. On opener Old Mind of Mine they set off on a determined, jangled strum that is to all intents and purposes Streets of Your Time by The Go Betweens, the best band ever to come out of that city.
Full Power Happy Hour's recipe is a fairly simple one. In many ways they recreate the easy acoustic strummming sunny vibes of 18 Lovers Lane, in some respects The Go Betweens pop masterpiece.except with a female vocalist Alex Campbell rather than Grant and Robert.
The songs here are presented with great love, care and attention. In some ways their spiritual forebears, just as the Go Betweens were the great anthems of the sixties, from the likes of The Seekers and The Mamas & The Papas.
Elsewhere, they get slightly braver. Woohaa Everyday the standout on the album for me, moves into shade and stirs memories of Sandy Denney and Leonard Cohen, the best memories at that.
From there the record moves into its purple patch. Full Power Happy Hour have slowed down the pace and it seems to be the tempo that suits them best. Campbell too really comes into her own here. Her voice crystal clear and sustained. Reminscent here of Denney again, Judith Durham, Judy Collins.
Its these later songs on the album that really cut deep for me. The band really start hitting their stride building a lovely vibe here. Something like a cross between the frst Fairport Convention Folk Rock album and the more contemporary and unfairly neglected Houndstooth out of Portland, Oregon.
Full Power Happy Hour is no masterpiece, but it does get very good indeed at some points, particularly towards its close. I was moved and touched on sevel occasions. Sent in to rather reveries. This is a short record. Only eight songs. More like a Full Power Happy Half Hour really. But the record concerned certainly does what it says it will on the tin.
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