Moseley's The New Righteous Mood, A Few Righteous Tunes - EP review
They're currently based in Moseley, Birmingham, but The New Righteous Mood haven't always called it home.
Vocalist and guitarist Tommy Greaves hails from Cannock, Huw Woodward, also on guitar and vocals, is from Wolverhampton, drummer George Maybury is from Longbridge and Joe Chapman on bass is from Bromsgrove.
Together they have crafted some neat little melodic numbers full or archaic vocal styles that hark back to another era and short, sharp bursts of guitar oozing with summertime odes and packaged up into a short and sweet, almost nonchalant hike through their influences.
Chief of these is the aptly name Sleepwalker. It half ambles, half slopes from start to finish as the vocals from Greaves and Woodward - even sounding like a top 1950s football strikeforce - dance along with lazy ease. The bass from Chapman bounds along with slightly more energy like an enthusiastic puppy - this track is his moment to shine.
It's offset quite well by the opener Trail Of Shade. This is the most upbeat of the four tracks and packs the most punch. With up-front percussion from Maybury driving the track on, those guitars collide and snarl at one another below their mixed vocals that attack from high and low with relative ease.
Supermarket Birthday Cake encompasses some pretty nifty string work too as some very brief, full-throttle and slightly scuzzy guitar rips poke through between the verses. Each lasts just a moment, but they leave an impression. They make up for the slightly drawn-out choruses that hang around a little too long - like that unwelcome relative at the family do that just will not go home. It's still an overall comforting listen despite that.
The other number is Set In Stone. This feels every inch the awkward teenager in an endearing way. You can picture the skinny jeans and self-embarrassed tics like a hair ruffle or fringe straighten from the musical protagonist. Again, jagged guitar riffs dance ahead of us in a jaunty, fun-loving way. The four-piece certainly know how to work with and around one another.
It's a warm if detached collection from the boys who promise a lot of interesting and intricate songwriting together as their experience and confidence grows.
Rating: 6/10
The New Righteous Mood can be found on Facebook @TheNewRighteousMood and Twitter @RighteousMood - the EP is available now via their Spotify page.
