In 1982 Paul Weller was one of the biggest pop stars in the UK, The Jam notching up 18 consecutive top 40 singles in a five year period, garnering a devoted if somewhat laddish following, helping propel the trio to the singles chart summit on four occasions.
The seldom dull Canadian trio ‘Plants and Animals’ return after a four-year hiatus with ‘The Jungle’. Released on 23rd October, it’s the band’s fifth album, again on Secret City Records, Messrs Spicer, Woodley and Basque seemingly intent on prolonging the listener’s woozy chill-out experience from the outro of ‘Waltzed in from the Rumbling’ albeit perhaps transported to the chaotic set of Jumanji.
My introduction to Wicketkeeper was the video for magnificent fifth single 'The Side' (an excellent place to start with this excellent band). Soundtracked by the song's spry guitar work and irrepressible vocal hooks – both of which are Wicketkeeper staples – my eye wandered to the comments section where the band themselves had given a reply. In response to a self-congratulatory observation of what may or may not have been a bum note, Wicketkeeper simply replied "if that bothers you, you're going to struggle with the album", unwittingly writing the perfect review for their debut album Shonk.