The resilience of jangle-rock (for lack of a better word) always astounds me. Thirty years ago, we had to dig for these releases; it was not like Sam Goody was hyping the latest from the Field Mice, you know? Now, thanks to generations of fans who weren't even born yet during the first few waves of bands inspired by C86 and the like, the genre is thriving. The Proctors are not exactly upstarts, but they have a youthful energy about them. Their new one, Snowdrops and Hot Air Balloons, offers tunes which hit the sweet spots fans of this stuff are always looking out for.
Opener "Summer Begins" revs up and positively chimes with promise. It's a glistening bit of business, and there are many here on this new record from the West Midlands outfit. Songs like that one, and "You and Me and the Sea", a winner in the Lightning Seeds style, blossom here. Gavin Priest (guitar and vocals), Sofia Arnell (keyboards and vocals), Kate Lackenby (bass and vocals), and Paul Collins (drums) carry this material to some lofty heights. Press and others may comment on the vibe here echoing peak Wild Swans, and that's here, along with a dollop or two of Ooberman (the wistfully expansive "Silhouettes"), but these selections deserve high praise even without such comparisons. There's a brightness to guitar tones, and a judicious use of backing vocals from Sofia and Kate as to make each track something memorable, and the sort of thing you want to immediately place on a mix next to old faves from Sarah Records and the like. Things really came together for me on "Crystaline Part 2", a song where the rush in Gavin's voice and momentum of the melody combined in the best possible jangle-pop way.
What I like about The Proctors is how this music is so bright. Even the relatively downbeat or introspective songs burn with a kind of positivity that suggests a belief in music's power even when one's at one's lowest. And on the upbeat numbers, the spark is more obvious, making compelling each Byrds-y twist and turn on the guitar. The Proctors are not trying to re-invent the wheel on Snowdrops and Hot Air Balloons, but they are finding a way throughout this record of how to make the familiar feel fresh again. The prowess of The Proctors is there, in that resilient faith in the possibility that a shiny pop song can indeed mean so much, and be so dear.
Snowdrops and Hot Air Balloons by The Proctors is out now. Details below.
[Photo: The Proctors Bandcamp]