A New Athens

For those who actually remember the Britpop era, The Bluetones may still only register as a minor blip on the musical radar. Perhaps there’s some recognition for indie standard ‘Slight Return’ or the anthemic ‘If…’, but, for most, the Bluetones brand of whimsical English indie lacked the swagger of their mid-90s’ rivals. Although they have been releasing albums consistently for a decade and a half, arguably with greater consistency than the bands that overshadowed them, a resurgence in popularity seems unlikely.

So to see The Bluetones pop up unexpectedly in the list of this year’s releases, even I, someone who saw the band play in a tent in Ross-on-Wye once upon a time, approached the CD with some trepidation. I’m all for whimsy – I still think Due South is underrated TV – but will a band who have written some decidedly quaint songs actually make sense in 2010? Can a quintessentially English band like The Bluetones have any relevance nowadays? Thankfully, the answer the Bluetones give on _A New Athens_, is an affirmative, yes. This is because The Bluetones have allowed their music to age gracefully.

Whilst many bands from the 90s chose to stick wilfully to what they knew, flogging a dead horse out of mercenary not musical interests. On _Athens_, however, The Bluetones, unlike many of their rivals, show they have grown up. The music is still on the softer side of guitar rock, catchy and melodic, but some of the eccentricities have been toned down. There are moments of quiet beauty, such as highlight ‘Golden Soul’, that could find support from fans of the nu-folk of Mumford and Sons et al.

Whilst their tendancy towards literary lyrics have moved on as well and make decidedly poetic reading, particularly the musings on mortality on songs like ‘Firefly’. There is still a sense of humour here but with an added knowing edge to it, perhaps even a sense that time hasn’t been entirely kind to the band. This is intelligent indie-pop, much like Supergrass’s _Road to Rouen_, showing that there can be life beyond Britpop.

That’s not to say that this is a depressing album, or even a melancholy one. The lead single ‘Carry Me Home’ failed to chart but it is a breezier offering, which confirms the band’s ability to write a catchy tune. Whilst their appreciation for a tongue in check reference is well and truly proved on, ‘The Day That Never Was’ which features an inspired intro that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. This sense of fun just overshadowed their undeniable talents too often in the past, with a jarring sense of jumping from the sublime to the ridiculous.

_Athens_ on the other hand holds together because there is a maturity that underlies the Bluetones more whimsical moments, a trick well known to fans of Morrissey. Although not music likely to set the world on fire, there is gentle power to this album. Those who wrote The Bluetones off with the death of Britpop may well want to have a rethink.