reviews

Those of us of a certain vintage will remember the The Popguns, and the 90s band of some repute are back with a new single/ep ‘Popism’, that shows they’ve lost none of their melodic exuberance in the intervening couple of decades or so. The fact that Matinée Recordings—purveyors of fine indie and jangle pop, have put their name to it and are releasing it is an extra hallmark of quality. Certainly opener 'Caesar' swoons and whirls around, with memorable melodies intertwined with spidery guitar lines and just a touch of devastating melancholy, showing what we’ve been missing all these years. 'Dirty London' is more matter of fact, more robust even but equally as brilliant, while 'Red Cocoon' harks back to the opener with a straight up poppy breeze in amongst the rather lovely backing vocals. Finally 'Indie Rock Goddess' has this scuffed up indie singalong quality about it that makes it just about irresistible. Welcome back The Popguns – how have we managed without you? —Backseat Mafia

It’s been 35 years since Brighton, UK-based indie pop outfit The Popguns debuted, but they sound as fresh as ever on their latest release. On this new EP Popism, songwriter Simon Pickles (guitar), Wendy Pickles, Greg Dixon (guitar), Pat Walkington (bass) and Ken Brotherston (drums) deliver four perfect pop songs that spontaneously make the sun shine again. “The title is inspired by a love of the unpretentious power of pop music at its simple and expressive best. Pop has no need for artfulness, authenticity, or intellectual approval but tells us the honest and unambiguous truth along with the overriding feeling that happiness is always possible.” Mesmeric guitar melodies, clever lyrics and angelic vocals, that’s all it takes. Closing track Indie Rock Goddess stands out for me, a tongue-in-cheek rocker promoting the excellence of growing old disgracefully. It all seems so easy, but in execution this is extraordinary. —Add To Wantlist

We frequently get harsh reminders that we aren't young anymore. But we still believe in romance and strolls through fallen autumn leaves, and are grateful for any opportunity to sigh with pleasure and surprise at the first listen to good pop music. And this brings us to Popism, the new EP by the wonderful, long-lasting, UK indie pop band The Popguns. The four tracks remind us of the band's impeccable pop nous, professional and, indeed, muscular musicianship, and the vocals of Wendy Pickles, one of our all-time favorite vocalists. As soon as the EP was available we took a walk through the fallen leaves with the record on repeat -- we really had no choice. We recommend that you do the same. —When You Motor Away