Album Review: Helen Love - "Power On"

 

Every scene needs its clown prince/princess band to take the rip out of it. Just as the Television Personalities were to punk rock, so Helen Love were to Britpop, gently ripping the piss out of it with some of the catchiest tunes you've probably ever heard from a lo-fi band. 25 years later and they're still very much out there bringing a ray of cheery sunshine to those who need it as evidenced right from opener Hold Your Hand which references both Top of the Pops and Timbuk 3's The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades. When the bubblegum-pop of Debbie Take Control of the Stereo bursts in with a supremely cheeky sample of Elvis Costello's Pump It Up, you can't help but find yourself grinning.

Quite simply, in depressing times such as these it seems we arguably need Helen Love as much as we ever have done and Power On is definitely a tonic for anyone who needs cheering up. From the Ramones style pop-punk of Jackie From The Estate and Dead In My Head through the high energy disco of Power On The Music (which must be the only song in the world to sample the Super Furry Animals and Kiss in the space of 20 seconds!) to the pure sunshine pop of Sandra Dee.

Power On simply does everything you'd want a Helen Love album to do in that no matter how terrible a day you've just had, its sheer unbridled cheerfulness will put a smile on your face just like all the best bubblegum power-disco-pop-punk should. Add in the same spiky punk energy they've already had and you're on to a winner here. You can stream or download it from their label Alcopop Records' Bandcamp site.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)