Now this is what I call music. The four men of Eaton Park have been around since 1998 and sound to have borrowed a sniff of pop sense and sensibility from Itchycoo Park. Crooning out of their base of Stoke-on-da-Trent (former home of Robbie, and current residence of the fab 'Exclusive' fanzine just for name-checks' sake), these four tracks are proof enough that chart-perfect music needn't be superficial or manufactured. Here are pure, gorgeously swooning pop songs hand-written by a band who strive for the lushest melodies possible. Oh yeh, melody is here to save us alright as 'Last Train' ('My last cigarette was full of regret� my love ain't waiting for me now') gushes into the yet more poignant and sun-kissed soul of the title track, singer/ guitarist Ben Hammond poring over this tribute to the late Una Moss ('You've got a face that fits in everyone's dreams') with his dab hands producing an enviously vibrant acoustic guitar sound, a song written by band guitarist Wayne.
By this point it's obvious that Eaton Park are the captivating tip of a fast, re-emerging scene of tuneful, heart-&-soul, guts and ball-ballooning indie rock.
'Wrong' is an astonishing highlight, and is so majestic that it really belongs on The Cure's staggeringly poetic 'Bloodflowers' album, while closing track 'J.D.' is an anthem of hope for the homeless.
Veering as far away as possible from the nu-metal obsession, similar bands in East Yorkshire include the fantastic outfits Mr. Mojo and The Sonnet, and Lincolnshire's Just. And just like the aforementioned, Eaton Park know a good song when they've written one� or four!
(STEVE RUDD)
E-mail� [email protected] or
TEL: WAYNE on 07973 443098 or TEL: SIMON on 07736 064276