Genes

They should have been massive, you know. While last year’s spate of A House nostalgia will have certainly raised their profile and bank balances, there was a slightly hectoring tone that the band could have done better for themselves, and indeed, if they had been around five years later, it’s not hard to imagine them achieving the kind of success that The Frames are currently enjoying.

The past, though, is another country and Dave Couse returns to the day job with the low key but hugely impressive Genes. Produced by kindred spirit Edwyn Collins, it is a solo album a world away from the tortured musings of some of his contemporaries, favouring instead a bold, brash, band-led experience that suits the material well.

What fine material it is too, ‘At The End Of The Day’, ‘Familiar Feeling’, ‘I Almost Touched You’ and ‘Everybody’s Got Their Own Troubles’ being the highlights of a collection which reinforces the feeling that, if we’re not careful, this songwriter could end up being one of our great unsung talents.

He could have taken the easy option, but in defiantly opening up a new chapter, Couse has taken the first steps to a bright new dawn.