In the quite music wonderful film High Fidelity, which nails so much of the obsessive and generally male disposition of lifelong obsessives, the pitiless Rock jester in the film, Jack Black character comes in to hear his colleagues, Rock romantic John Cusack and Rock Dweeb, Todd Luiso enjoying the new Belle & Sebastian record. Naturally he doesn't put up with this state of affairs for long blasting out Walking On Sunshine.
This might be me in an alternative life and this morning I'd be enjoying The Chesterfield's New Modern Homes. It's a truly wonderful record. The Chesterfields first came together in 1984 and came to greater prominence by 1986 as part of the same year's C-86 movement. They inhabited a particular wing of it, the melodic old school side of that scene, notably by the likes of The Loft, The June Brides and The Wedding Present. They perhaps didn't get the attention they deserved first time round.
I hope they get a bit of notice with this one, because it's a wonderful one altogether. Lively, tuneful songs with fabulous lyrics, hit singles in an alternative universe, which values The Velvet Underground and The Smiths more highly than X-Factor. It's an album just made for people who went to All Tomorrow's Parties and listen to 6 Music evening sessions from Mark Riley and Gideon Coe.
The Chesterfields rock in that cool, slightly straitlaced Indie manner. They pick up the baton from the lighter end of The Velvets, the second MC-5 record and early Television and transcribe it to Yeovil where they hail from. They released three albums first time round, all worth hearing and this is a glorious comeback.
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