NORTHAMPTON HERALD & POST MUSIC BLOG: The Bophins and Joe Woolley at The Charles Bradlaugh

True to its name September is getting better and better as we ebb ever closer to the icy mitts of winter with a tonne of big releases and lots of exciting gigs to come in and around Northampton.

I love Northampton’s music scene as there really is all sorts of exciting music to be heard and this couldn’t have been more evident than The Bophins performance at the Charles Bradlaugh last Friday (6th).

Support came in the form of Joe Woolley and what a welcome surprise he was too. Woolley’s heartfelt acoustic set provided quality melodic, poetic riffs that kept me captivated throughout. The bluesy set contained a mixture of Woolley’s own material along with a healthy dose of covers and passed all too quickly, however the gentle and at times Nick Drake-esque vocals Woolley supplied stayed rooted in my head all night. This was a fine display of fingerpicking from the local artist and after chatting outside and some intense listening on my return home it was clear to see the influence of Davy Graham within Woolley’s music.

As for the main act, The Bophins were all that you could expect from a Garage/ Punk pop band, however this is not necessarily a bad attribute to have. Who said Punk needed to be angry? This was a display of Punk/ Pop that Sid Vicious and my nan could enjoy equally. It was the perfect soundtrack to a Friday night with plenty of Clash and Sham 69 influenced sounding tracks, resulting in catchy dance floor fillers and big repetitive choruses. The Bophins were more than enjoyable to watch and certainly slotted nicely into the 1970s New Wave category.

Rugged, riff heavy and slick, there simply isn’t enough adjectives to describe the glorious 5th instalment from the Arctic Monkeys. ‘AM’ is a stunning stroke of genius by the Sheffield lads making Humbug seem like a bad dream.

The record opens with the stripped back sounding single ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ setting up the listener for just over 40 minutes of sheer class, as this album has no shortage of hits. This album sees a real return to form for the Arctic Monkeys, a return to the ‘Whatever People Say I am’ level although they may have surpassed their heavy weight debut quality wise with ‘AM’ (a bold claim I know) however one thing is for sure, this album is merely the calm before the storm as this record is the start of new levels of greatness for the band.

Stand out tracks amongst what is undoubtedly already a contender for album of the year include ‘Arabella’ a hip-hop enthused 70s rock sounding track that occasionally unleashes a mean Black Sabbath style riff. At the other end of the AM spectrum lies the Glam pop foot stomper that is ‘I Want It All’ in which Alex Turner shows off his falsetto. ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High’ sees a return to the witty and observational traits we have all grown to love from Turner as a lyricist on this catchy pop anthem. The undeniably Lennon-esque piano led ballad ‘No. 1 Party Anthem’ is an absolute must hear and really takes the album full circle in being a very successful musical escapade. The already mentioned ‘Do I Wanna Know’ along with its riff heavy sibling ‘R U Mine’ all contribute in making this an album that ticks every box possible and one which probably (after Humbug and Suck It And See) surprised many as it is a solid, consistent and diverse collection of tracks with not a disappointment within earshot. Make sure you hear these tracks live by catching the Arctic Monkeys on tour this October/ November when they play the nearby LG Arena, Birmingham on the 31st October.

This Friday (13th) sees Mod heroes Secret Affair play Northampton’s Guildhall as part of their Soho Dreams 2013 tour. The tour is in conjunction with the Northampton Museum’s Mod exhibition (and excellent it is too.) Secret Affair are renowned for their tracks ‘Glory Boys’, ‘Time For Action’ and ‘My World’. I highly recommend attending this gig as fellow Mod or not you will not be disappointed. Secret Affair bring to the stage catchy sharp edge riffs with an RnB soul flowing through their performances, accompanied by a brass section. In addition to the tracks mentioned already check out ‘I’m Not Free (But I’m Cheap)’ for a taste of those catchy riffs along with their latest single ‘All The Rage’ to get you in the mood. After a gap of thirty years their 2012 comeback album Soho Dreams is available to purchase now and unlike many returning artists it is well worth a listen. Check back next week for my review of Secret Affair at the Guildhall. Tickets are £15 in advance/ £18 on the door. For more information visit: www.secretaffair.info

Remember to check www.realbowman.com for all the latest including a full interview with Ian Page and Dave Cairns of Secret Affair. What did you think of The Bophins? Where you there? Are you going to see Secret Affair on Friday? Did AM strike all the right notes for you? Follow me on Twitter @RealJimmyBowman and let me know. Any artists wishing to contact me can do so via jimmybowman_@hotmail.com

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