THE DARLING BUDS
Same Sun / Same Sky (Cherry Red)
Forty years on from their formation, The Darling Buds retain a fresh, fun sound, full of punchy bass and bright guitar tones. Despite its seemingly romantic title, Same Sun / Same Sky deals with resentment and discontent with an enjoyably forceful indiepop twist.
From the riffs on opener Hey Saint Jude, a sense of revitalisation and merriment flirts with the lyrics’ grappling with romantic malaise. Pretenders, a somewhat spunkier track, is proof of the bands inexhaustible, timeless energy, and closer Pollyana Says testifies to the band’s capacity for hope, and slightly calmer melodies adjacent to the likes of Lush.
Though occasionally trite and repetitive, The Darling Buds are by no means tired. Their first full-length album in decades is catchy, simple, and infectiously uplifting in all the ways one could wish an indiepop album to be, especially from a band fresh out of retirement.
words MENNA WILSON
