In January 2010, Harlem, a trio of musicians based in Austin Texas released an album called Hippies. It was and remains a fabulous record. Straight out of the garage in the same sense that The Shadows of Knight and The Clash were, it was raw, frenetic and urgent, and full of the kind of tunes that you wished every band were capable of, though sadly you're aware at the same time that most of them weren't. Pitchfork loved it. They were right to.
Nine years later they're back, or at least their two songwriters Michael Coomers and Curtis O'Mara are having spent the intervening time working on separate projects. They've released a new album called Oh Boy. Pitchfork hate it. They're wrong to.
Oh Boy makes no effort to replicate the ragged charm of Hippies. It would be ridiculous if it did. Coomers and O'Mara are nine years older and naturally take a much more considered approach. This might be a disappointment to fans of Hippies but really the new record deserves to be considered on its own terms. In that respect I think it's a very good one.
Far more laid back than Hippies and full of songs that touch on the poignancy and weariness of early Seventies Harry Nilsson and John Lennon albums, Oh Boy will probably not get the attention and plaudits that Hippies was showered with. It may not even be such a good record. But it's certainly one which should be heard.
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