Music from the yesterdays and today!

Raquel's Boys is the vehicle by which Sean Hutton and Bill Rogers pump out thumping pop songs that hark back to bygone times where it was all about coming up with a great tune and topping it all off with great vocals and harmonies, almost like the Beach Boys being backed by The Who in their earlier days.

'Music For The Girl You Love' has a no nonsense energy about it across the twelve tracks within. 'Please Thrill Me' kicks off proceedings with a big beat and jangly guitars sitting behind great lead and harmony vocals. 'Knockout' starts with an 'in the red' guitar intro and the song develops as it twists and turns through minor chord sequences and key changes. It has a rythmn and thumping beat that The Jesus And Mary Chain would happily put their name too, it's that gloriously noisy and powerful! 'This Green Lawn' backs off slightly and isn't quite so dense and clattering and shows that the band have the ability to deal in subtler textures when they choose. 'Music For the Girl You Love' again shackles grimey but melodic guitars to top drawer vocals whilst album closer 'Please Don't Fade Away' strips the band's sound down to subtle acoustic guitars and string sections and shows that the songwriting can stand up in it's most unadorned form.

This album has a sound that refreshes the listener as the songs on this album have an immediacy and innocence that has been somewhat lost over the years by the need for the music industry to iron out everything until the sound of a band is nothing less than insipid and sterile. This music jumps out at you and grabs you, because it is vital and earthy and long may bands like Raquel's Boys continue to make albums like ' Music For The Girl You Love' and fly in the face of so called 'modern perfectionism'. A thoroughly engaging and entertaining listen from start to finish!

Reviewed by Kevin Wallbank
05/25/09