Almond Tea

Beatles-fixated guitar bands may not be exactly what the world is waiting for right now but local lads, Pugwash, carry it off with such aplomb that it’s hard not to succumb to their charms.

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Thomas Walsh may look like he’s done time in Pere Ubu, but his way with a tune, a chord change and a treacle harmony is undeniable. Songs like ‘Finer Things In Life’, and ‘Always Be’ linger in the head for days after first hearing them, evidence that simplicity is the mother of longevity.

Walsh’s lyrics are also refreshingly unpretentious, ranging from the time-honoured tradition of angsty navel navigation (“I’ve taken to crying inside/Emotion is so hard to hide”) to the more intriguing, cryptic verse of ‘Shine On Norvell Jefferson’.

Walsh’s voice is assured and pleasing to the ear, sometimes reminiscent of Rubber Soul/Revolver-era Macca, elsewhere like a long-lost brother of Neil Finn. And Stephen Farrell’s guitars chime like the bells of Liverpool Cathedral, helped no end by Walsh and Keith Farrell’s crystal clear production job.

Walsh lists ex-Jellyfish man, Jason Falkner, as a prime influence and friend. But there’s much here that even Mr. Falkner would have been proud to put his name to. Pugwash may be revelling in the past glories of classic guitar pop but, boy, do they make a fine sound.