No Frills Reviews

James Redmond is another character in what I like to think of as the extended Scouse Psych Universe, which spans members from the likes of The La’s and The Coral, to newcomers like The Dream Machine. Redmond is a bit of a veteran of that scene, having played with both of the former bands, amongst others, throughout his career.

Video City II takes inspiration from a pre-internet age where video rental shops, VHS tapes, and arcade games provided a window into other worlds. And the album probably works best if you view it through the lens of flicking through a rack of film posters. I almost changed the wording above to listen rather than view, but view actually works better as there’s a very visual element to the album, beginning with the excellent artwork from Seasick Sailor.

Each track plays like a vignette, dropping you into a new scene complete with its own atmosphere and accompanying landscape. From a mystical desert trek on opener, Castle Of Illusion, to a classic Clint Eastwood Western on Running With The Devil, to an underwater dream sequence on Child of the Ocean. You could also view it like the soundtrack to a fictional film; with spoken word interludes and snippets of speech spliced between tracks.

Now, this all probably sounds a bit pretentious, and I get it; a psychedelic semi-concept album; it’s very easy to get lost up your own arse with this sort of thing. But, importantly, it all manages to feel very loose and fun. And, at just 27 minutes, it breezes by.

However, the album does feel like it starts slowly. The first few tracks themselves are solid, but it’s as if you’ve came straight into the middle of the album (which makes sense with that vignette theory). Weirdly, it’s the Super Mario-themed rap of Rainbow Road which really gets thing going; it really shouldn’t work, but it’s a low-key banger.

Alongside the whole visual inspiration, there’s the sense that this is very much a record collector’s record. From the importance placed on the artwork to help tell the album’s story, to the myriad of influences that shape the music, which is highlighted on the three standout tracks. The Fang is a re-working of an old 50’s rock ‘n roll novelty from Nervous Norvus; here transformed into a banging sci-fi theme. Will She Meet Me could easily be mistaken for a late 60s/early 70s classic; McCartney’s Beatles crossed with Crosby, Stills & Nash. And CSN are channelled again on Emerald Isles, throwing a bit of Gram Parsons-era Byrds into the mix for another which feels like a lost classic.

A fun, easy, inventive album, with a few exceptional moments to top it off.