Music might be more homogeneous than ever before thanks to streaming and the erosion of easily identifiable scenes, but there is still a certain romance tied to specific places and periods of time.
That romance remains enticing for bands, keeping the influence of far-away locales alive decades later. Take ‘Fairweather Friend’ as a prime example. The second album from San Francisco four piece The Umbrellas is far more indebted to the late ‘80s sounds emanating from Glasgow and Manchester than anything going on in their backyard.
You can almost picture the band in bedrooms thousands of miles away, pawing through the liner notes of ‘Bandwagonesque’ or ‘The Queen Is Dead’ in awe of sounds and scenes that seemed to come from another world.
Whether any of this actually rings true is somewhat beside the point. Deliberate or not, there is a piercing triumph in how charmingly out of step ‘Fairweather Friend’ sounds, making it a thoroughly unique offering for 2024.
Opening with the uptempo post-punk of Three Cheers, the band soon settle into a euphoric jangle-pop sway, with Matt Ferrera and Morgan Stanley's swiftly-traded vocals lending the record a sun-kissed quality that complements the sardonic bite of the lyrics.
Echoes is a delightfully twee number reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, but between sugary pop moments are acid punk notes. Toe The Line is a carefree thrash of guitar and drums that will be an immediate live favourite, and the band barely keep pace with themselves on the chorus of Gone, threatening to fall off the rails at any minute.
Capturing energy that was somewhat absent from their debut, ‘Fairweather Friend’ feels bigger in every way. It might not be quite the fuzz-pop revolution that accompanied the buried melodies of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart’s ‘Belong’ but by loosening the reins and incorporating healthy doses of shoegaze and punk into their already winning formula, The Umbrellas have presented an uncut gem of a record.
The Umbrellas Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue March 05 2024 - NEWPORT Le Pub
Wed March 06 2024 - COVENTRY Just Dropped In
Thu March 07 2024 - MANCHESTER Gulliver's
Fri March 08 2024 - LEEDS Wharf Chambers
Sat March 09 2024 - GLASGOW Mono - Kings Court
Sun March 10 2024 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Bobiks
Mon March 11 2024 - YORK Fulford Arms
Tue March 12 2024 - NOTTINGHAM JT Soar
Wed March 13 2024 - LONDON Oslo
Thu March 14 2024 - OXFORD Common Ground
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