If it wasn’t for Elton, Billy Joel and 10cc, The Feeling’s third album – which revisits ‘70s pop with a vengence – wouldn’t have come to pass. The funky riffs and sparkling bassline combine with huge hooks to create what amounts to a pop masterclass. Well, of sorts. This is not a fantastic record but, as an homage to pop’s glory days, it offers some much-needed relief from all the Autotuned puppets topping the charts.
The band do take some risks here – witness the tin whistle on ‘Dance For The Lights’ and the panpipes on ‘Searched Every Corner’. But throughout they always sound like The Feeling.
Bassist Richard Jones gets his missus, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, in for a duet on ‘Leave Me Out Of It’. Thank goodness he did – Ms. Ellis-Bextor saves what might have been a dull semi-ballad with spry delivery and twinkling charm. A touch of pop cheese uncomfortably appears in ‘Searched Every Corner’, but the funky bassline at least ties it in with the other tracks.
All in all, though, this is a more than half-decent pop record – perfect for an evening of cocktails and good times.