Being the lesser known co-founder of one of Britain’s most
average indie bands isn’t the kind of resume that raises expectations. Coupled with the recent lacklustre return of
old friends of the band, the Libertines, and less recent, even more atrocious efforts
from touring partners the Arctic Monkeys, expectation becomes fear. However, I won’t pretend to have listened to
any of his other albums, so I came into “West Kirby County Primary” with a
modicum of hope.
The opener “Tell Me you Don’t Love Me Watching” couldn’t really
have split my opinion more completely.
On one side of this cerebral schism lay the obvious seedy undertone to
the main refrain “Just look at the things that you’re wearing, and tell me you
don’t love me watching”. However, and more
incredibly, the genuine affection in Ryder-Jones’ performance is enough to
convey that the songs muse is someone that he absolutely loves, in an honest
and charming way.
The album is certainly
at its best when stripped of the pretence of indifference that plagues too much
of indie music. On the Jesus and Mary
Chain inspired “Let’s Get Away From Here” Ryder-Jones sings “If something
breaks your heart then I would know, yeah I should know”, and once again brings
to the foray a euphoric sense of adoration that carries onto “Daniel”. The upbeat moments are no less intimate in
their subject matter.
The sunny jangle
pop of “Wild Roses” and “You Can’t Hide a Light with the Dark” give the album
an accessible edge. There certainly isn’t
anything being revolutionised anywhere on the album. Every chord change is predictable, every
guitar tone recycled. But it succeeds in
what it sets out to do.
Perhaps if The
Libertines and Arctic Monkeys stopped trying so desperately to sound smart and
cool respectively, they’d learn something from Bill Ryder-Jones ability to
openly convey his own, unaltered feelings in succinct, clever witticisms. I recommend streaming this album if you’re a
fan of mellow indie guitar music.
Charlie McCartney
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