Honest and well-written pop music is hard to come by in this day and age, especially since a lot of it that swarms the charts is of the worst bloated kind. Cleethorpes/Grimsby indie folk punk quartet, The Finest Hour, release their début full length ‘These Are the Good Old Days’, an hour long piece that attempts to break the mould and current trend of bad pop music.

What makes this record work well is the combination of catchy, head bopping melodies that feature simple, straight to the point no nonsense lyrics featuring themes of personal relationships, socio politics, and tales of penniless pockets. Some of the songs would be definitive anthemic crowd pleasers at live shows such as the melancholic ‘Calverly Road’ and the more upbeat hope filled ‘Keep Your Chin Up’.

<a href=“http://thefinesthour.bandcamp.com/track/never-heard-of-dylan-free-download” data-mce-href=“http://thefinesthour.bandcamp.com/track/never-heard-of-dylan-free-download”>Never Heard Of Dylan – free download by The Finest Hour</a>

Musically the band’s formula of easy listening indie folk rock with the odd spice of ska and punk is the main hook that allows the band to have the ability to nab an audience looking for no thrills and unchallenging musical bait to get their teeth into. However, this is where the problem lies; sure it does simply do what it says on the tin but it lacks any kick or punch to make the majority of heads turn.

All in all, The Finest Hour have made a decent effort in recording, producing, and releasing a record that is both catchy and honest in structure, yet on the other hand there is something really lacking to make it stand out like an insane mad man that rips out your heart with his hands. It’ll be noticed by the odd individual, but probably not enough to cause a huge wave of momentum.

3/5

‘These Are The Good Old Days’ by The Finest Hour is available now through Hey Bert! Records.

The Finest Hour links: Official Website|Facebook|Twitter

Words by Aaron Lohan (@ooran_loohan)