Album Review: The Speed Of Sound - "Museum Of Tomorrow"

 

Hailing from Manchester, the Speed of Sound have apparently been doing the rounds since 1989 but this is honestly the first I've heard of them. Certainly, the jangly guitars on opener Tomorrow's World bring to mind quite a few of the C86 bands from the era when the band started up although to their credit they offer a bit more of a beefed-up take on the formula that owes as much to the Buzzcocks as it does to say Talulah Gosh or similar.

The male/female duelling vocals on tracks like Opium Eyes and Blood, Sweat and Tears even recall the Rezillos a bit which is never a bad thing although they're not quite of the same quality. Museum Of Tomorrow is a generally solid effort which is let down a bit by the echoey production and the fact that a few of the tracks like Smokescreen, Impossible Past and Leaf Blower sound a bit plodding and aimless. It's probably telling that the Speed of Sound are at their best when they break away from their jangly indie security blanket such as on the spiky The Day The Earth Caught Fire, the sinister bass-heavy Wired And Tired or the way Shadow Factory goes into '60s style psychedelic territory. Closer Last Orders even dips a toe into Meteors style psychobilly. Although as the lumpen attempt to copy the Sisters of Mercy Charlotte bears out, not all of them work unfortunately. 

My overall feeling about this album is that the Speed of Sound deserve credit for doing something different and there's plenty of good ideas in here but overall, it just doesn't quite hit the bullseye full on. Still, if you're the sort of person who grew up with the Manchester indie scene in the late '80s, I'd imagine you'll find plenty to enjoy in this particular museum.

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NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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