The post-Is This It homogenization of much UK guitar pop leaves recovering Britpop fans with a bit of a dilemma: Libertines-like barstool-rock or foppish post-punk moping? Surely not a choice you'd wish on even a critic. To our great relief, the debut albums from the Futureheads and Maxïmo Park stood out for their idea-crammed songs and sharp, catchy melodies, and Arctic Monkeys distinguish themselves through Alex Turner's vivid vernacular. South London's Good Shoes venture into this crowded market with a more streamlined pop take on new wave herky-jerky-- an earnest young Buzzcocks to their rivals' the Clash, the Jam, or XTC.
Good Shoes sweeten their spiky guitars, attack/release choruses, and hiccupping vocals with some straightforward songwriting about boys in bands (and the girls who love them). If the Arctic Monkeys' success established a new template for UK teen idoldom-- realistic diaries of underage drinking and nervous romantic conquests, easy on the synths plz-- then Good Shoes paint between the same lines with broader brushstrokes. Extra polish on debut full-length Think Before You Speak helps this group of barely twentysomethings realize the promise shown in about two years' worth of 7"s, EPs, and demos.
Still fundamentally a singles band, Good Shoes give us plenty of potential iPod-commercial fodder here. Rickety pop-punker "The Photos on My Wall" laments a stupid mouth before breaking into a stylish, Orange Juice-hued midsection. "My ears are ringing from the night before," singer/guitarist Rhys Jones notes, a detail his intended audience can no doubt appreciate. Jones remains an apologetic heartbreaker on "Never Meant to Hurt You", perhaps the best (only?) song ever to name-check fluffy J-Lo fable Maid in Manhattan. "Small Town Girl", a 2005 single re-recorded for the album, tries to comfort another Hollywood actress with catchy shouts and simple lead guitar. The bickering couple of "We Are Not the Same" is another easy entry point, though the title comes across as wishful thinking.
Pleasant surprise: Several album tracks sound like potential singles, too. Likely live favorite "Sophia" ("all the pretty girls are screaming, 'Take off your pants!'") again evokes the Arctics with its mention of our underage narrator being tossed from a bar, while "Everybody's Talking" enthusiastically tries out the Futureheads' call-and-response guitar intricacies. "Does it really matter?" Jones calls at the track's glowing conclusion. As welcome as new sounds would be, Good Shoes at least clean up the old ones for potentially new ears. Whatever, somewhere Art Brut are probably sticking out their tongues at the whole scene.
