[rating=4.00]
Since the demise of The Fratellis a few years ago, people have waited for a punchy, catchy and sinfully infectious band to come along to carry the torch. And with Locksley, well they look to be that group. After being The Kinks’ Ray Davies backing band on a U.S. trek, the quartet has gotten much mileage from the huge sing-along nugget “The Whip.”
But beside that track which opens the album, Locksley are more like a 10-or-11-hit wonder on this debut. New York City influences like The Strokes shown on the sweet “Oh, Wisconsin!” and the gorgeous “The Way That We Go” are plentiful. Meanwhile “Darling, It’s True” resembles a smart, summery toe-tapper bound to stick in your head, Locksley sound like a group on album three.
Granted, some of these songs have been around for a year or two, but Locksley sounds fresh on the Kinks-ian “All Over Again” with classic early ‘60s jangle-y rock influences saturating the album. Simple, straightforward and stellar seems to be their modus operandi on “Don’t Make Me Wait” which comes off like an early Beatles unreleased hit as does the Macca-like shrieks on the buzzsaw “She Does.” Should be a lock for several year-end critic’s lists.
