Manic Pop Thrill

There are times when it can be very dangerous having a past. Having every move measured against previous achievements can try the patience of even the most resilient artist. The situation can be aggravated even further when the people concerned would prefer to draw a discreet veil over the past and be judged solely on current merit.

So, whilst Feargal Sharkey has been quite prepared to milk his contribution to pop folklore for all it’s worth in a bid for his own interpretation of success, the approach of Sean and Damien O’Neill has been considerably more dignified.

Dignity is a word which springs to mind with regularity when listening to Manic Pop Thrill. Trumpet-blowing and media parlour-games have no place in That Petrol Emotion’s scheme of things. Instead, one is confronted by an overwhelming sense of purpose, an innate pop sensibility a near-total comprehension of the effectiveness of the art of noise and… well, D.I.G.N.I.T.Y.

Manic Pop Thrill displays the standard debut disparities yet still manages to convey a feeling of cohesion. At its best it can lull the listener into an extremely short-lived sense of security (‘A Natural Kind Of Joy’ coming close to being the best song Paul McCartney’s never written) before proceeding to pin your ears to the wall with slabs of the hardest pop/rock imaginable (‘Can’t Stop’, ‘It’s A Good Thing’ and ‘Fleshpring’) in a manner which recalls the furious delicacy of Spiral Scratch-era Buzzcocks.

That Petrol Emotion make their stance on the Northern Ireland situation quite clear but never try to ram their point down your throat. Nine of the album’s twelve cuts stand with the best that any current outfit can offer and the occasional (and irritating) excursions into Beefheart territory will, I suspect, be well ironed out by the time the band reach album no. 2.

“Fire and Skill” was the legend once emblazoned on Paul Weller’s guitar before he went on to become on the most sanctimonious embarrassments in pop history. On the basis of Manic Pop Thrill that phrase is now the property of That Petrol Emotion who are well on their way of overcoming the fact that two of their members were once members of one of the best pop groups ever.

That Petrol Emotion deserve your serious attention. Hear… and buy.