THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN

What Kind Of Country Is This? (Way Out West)

Way Out West opened their portfolio with a compilation of English country music entitled Declaration Of Independence, which was actually better than many critics gave it credit for, once you get past the prejudice against home-grown acts. Since then, they have released a handful of albums loosely related to country music. TMM appeared on that first album and this is their first full-length album.

Key player here is André Barreau, who wrote ten of the songs featured, plays lead guitar and is the vocalist as well as producer of the album. He’s the one featured on the back cover of the booklet in a red phone box, à la David Bowie.

A lot of the songs are memorable slices of roots rock that are never overtly country but touch on it a couple of times. The cover of (and dedication to) Floyd Cramer on ‘On The Rebound/Side Saddle’ shows off piano player Safi’s deft keyboard touches. The rhythm section is tight and Barreau’s playing effective with cuts like ‘Call Me A Fool’, boasting just about the right amount of twang.

The theme of songs like ‘This Land’ and ‘What Kind Of Country Is This?’ deal with their Englishness, with no attempts to Americanise the landscapes, place names or attitudes, which is commendable, and gives them a direct link to ’60s beat groups such as The Kinks. That influence is also a big part of the band’s character and roots in much the same way that The Beatles, in their early releases, drew from a similar source and blended it with their own nationality and sense of place.

TMM don’t quite knock my socks off, but songs like those already mentioned, ‘I’m Smoking Again’ (a remake of their compilation track), and ‘Got A Thing About You’ are all worthy of repeated listening. The latter is featured, with ‘Call Me A Fool’, in the film Sliding Doors, the kind of exposure that could help them achieve an unexpected breakthrough. And why not?.

Stephen Rapid