The Pictures - Pieces ofEight

Fri 24th Jun, 2005 in Music Reviews

Recently an article in a Sunday paper magazine declared the age of the metrosexual had come to an end. In the stroke of a pen, blokes with an inclination to cleanse, tone and moisturise before bed found themselves cast upon the rocks of so like, last month without even a word of warning. Sad? Not really, unless the man reading the piece suddenly changed his attitude towards the benefits of exfoliation in favour of seeking whatever this months man should be into. Maybe going to fireman school or something. Nothing screams pathetic like following magazine trends, and nothing screams magazine trends like rock and roll.

Hip music mags declared the retro rock revival over more or less just before it began, and fair enough. It’s all so, like, inward looking. I mean, where’re the visionaries of today? Who’s pushing the boundaries, man? The music press is so obsessed with discovering the new direction for rock, and even more importantly coming up with the name for it, good stuff that’s not in fashion this week can slip through the cracks.

If Jet seem a little… done, and The Vines and little… contrived then The Pictures debut Pieces of Eight is like a cool change on a summers day. To some people it will feel like the car radio got stuck on a late ‘60’s, early ‘70’s station, but as these songs open up they don’t sound stale or musty. They’re big and clear, and just when you think you’re onto where ones going it makes a sharp turn and takes you somewhere unexpected. This isn’t Kid A by any stretch, but then it doesn’t try to be.

Davey Lane is The Pictures front man, he sings, he writes, he guitars. It’s impossible to talk about him, the band or the album without acknowledging the elephant in the corner… he’s in You Am I.  Lane was invited to join You Am I as a teenage guitar prodigy, transcribing the guitar tabs for the web site for his favourite band. Five years, two albums and an on-stage fresh air punch from Tim Rogers later, Lane has declared The Pictures his main game and You Am I commitments rating back seat status for the time being. With a record this good, why not? Lane himself acknowledges the importance of the rock and roll family tree schooling he’s received from his older band mates. He doesn’t copy copies or seek to emulate second or third generation revival bands, no matter how big a fan he obviously is. He’s gone to the source, so a track like All My Ties with it’s psychedelic stylings and grand chorus could be compared to Oasis, but it carries the weight of Revolver era Beatles much better than they have for years.

Radio Station has been a personal highlight of The Pictures live show. It’s an epic Neil Young piece in the Southern Man mold. Lanes opening lines

Gather round and settle down
For another round of hanging out

sound not full of youthful enthusiasm, but heavy cynicism. The guitar solo in the second part goes further into Crazy Horse territory except Lane’s playing is too good and Greg Wales’ production too slick to let Young’s trademark sloppy virtuoso style come through. It’s clear, sharp and embarrassingly the song’s actually called The Play You’re Staging. Singing along loudly at the gig seems a little dumb now.

In contrast, the monster riffs and disgustingly catchy melodies of Pissn’ With the Catman, Somethin’ I Don’t Know and See Ya Home Tonight (complete with a Spazzy’s backing vocals are completely irresistible). Lane and Wales successfully dance the fine line of getting these songs catchy without being twee, fun without being disposable and interesting without being esoteric.

How Do You Feel is the only song not written by Lane, but rather by bass player Luke Thomas. It’s fun, if a little non desript and with it’s fuzzy guitars sounds a lot like the Hoodoo Gurus.

Pieces of Eight will not appeal to those looking for the thin edge of the wedge. Hell, there are people who’ll jump on whatever is declared the next new thing just in case. Likely it’s the artists who can’t even get press coverage who will cited as influential in years to come. If there ever even was a retro revival, it has revealed again that even when it’s at it’s meat and potato’s best, a great rock song is vital and captivating and a lot of fun.