Released: 1996
Championed by Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller and Chris Evans, Ocean Colour Scene, seemingly one of the few Britpop bands from the Midlands, were often singled out for being "retro" and "dadrock", perhaps slightly unfair as that was an accusation that could be made against almost any Britpop band.
The band had actually been around for several years before the release of this, their breakthrough album, coming off the back of big support slots with Oasis and Paul Weller, and perhaps more importantly, having 'The Riverboat Song' used frequently by Chris Evans on radio and most noticeably on 'TFI Friday'.
I never heard this album at the time, as I wasn't into any of the dadrock bands or sounds, so listening to it now is a little strange. I feel dirty, like I've sold out or something. To be fair, the album actually starts out pretty good. First two songs, 'The Riverboat Song' and 'the Day We Caught The Train' (both singles) are clearly the best songs on the album, and were unsurprisingly hits. Track three, 'The Circle', also a single, is not that bad.
After that, the album takes a distinct downturn into mediocrity. Only two other songs, 'Policemen & Pirates' and further single 'You've Got It Bad' avoid being terrible, the rest being a mix of bad blues, ballads and nonsense.
Rating: 2/5
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