Album Review: The Gold Needles - "What's Tomorrow Ever Done For You?"

 

Hailing from Hull, this is the second album from power-pop merchants the Gold Needles and it gets off to a bit of an odd start with the opening title track being more reminiscent of a poppier version of Franz Ferdinand than anything which makes me wonder if this review promo's been sent to the right place! Happily though, the Roxy Music indebted I Get The Pressure quickly rights things with some good fierce guitar work and a Bowie-esque chorus to get this album back on track.

Precious Times takes a trip into early '80s psychedelia territory (think Doctor & The Medics or XTC in one of their poppier modes) while the bluesy strut of Stones soundalike Dead Man's Hand and covers of George Harrison's If I Needed Someone and the Hollies' Have You Ever Loved Somebody? show proof of their '60s influences. Story Of My Life meanwhile, has an early Elvis Costello style spikiness to it while the sinister epic Realm of the Black Dog which has some haunting electronica powering along its intro and some nice twin guitar work on it might just be the album highlight before the gentle acoustics of Drown My Sorrow sign this one off nicely.

It's not all plain sailing - Billy Liar just sounds a bit messy and Susie Is Sorted is a bit unremarkable. But there's far more good than bad here and, even if they're not exactly the world's most original band, the Gold Needles at least give the impression of being a band who enjoy what they do and carry that enthusiasm and energy over into What's Tomorrow Ever Done For You? and, with the production here carrying a decent punch to help these songs along, this ain't bad at all.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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