Theme Tuneboy: Return Of The Living Dead

“Don’t tax the car until 2048,” a jaunty voice pleads seconds into Theme Tuneboy’s opening track. It’s a sentiment that sounds spookily appropriate to our difficult times. 
Theme Tuneboy is the latest nom de plume of Limerick songwriter Niall Quinn, best known as frontman of the sorely missed Limerick band The Hitchers, who recently reformed for one night only to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

Quinn can dramatically change gear from kooky folk crooner to demented noise rock god with the flick of a pedal. He does so on a curious compilation of concise and catchy songs that mostly stick to the two-and-a-half minute mark, with the breakneck ‘Tailrace’ and acoustic ditty, ‘Pissing Away The Summer’, among the standouts. ‘Horrible Songs’ meanwhile is an infectious slice of pop punk somewhere between The Damned and The Undertones. It’s as charming as it is weird, showcasing Quinn’s inimitable blend of fruitcake blues.
“I thought that only metal lads did photo shoots in cemeteries,” Quinn quips on the title-track. You could imagine him doing a photo shoot just about anywhere and it would make twisted sense,  
Return Of The Living Dead leaves you wanting more. The record done, you go straight back to the start to try and decipher what on earth he’s on about. Or indeed, what he’s on. A fascinating curiosity.