For those wondering about my mention a few posts ago of the Eric Burdon and the Animals Greatest Hits album. I said I wasn’t reviewing it because I had just last week bought it at Renaissance Records on Birmingham’s Southside.
The reason I’m not reviewing it for the Countdown is because I’m not reviewing recent purchases (unless I have an executive order from myself). I also am not formally going to review the Brummies new album, ‘Automatic World,’ which I bought about a month ago at Seasick Records. Now in Nashville, the Brummies started in Birmingham, borrowing its name from British slang meaning resident of Birmingham.
But I do want to discuss the album, if I may, for a few minutes. I love it – but I don’t know why. If you had to label it, you would call it soft rock, along the lines of early Bee Gees (which I also love).
The production is fabulous like their excellent first album ‘Reach.’ All of the songs seem radio friendly – but in a different era like the 1970s and 1980s — I hear some Howard Jones influence in there and, perhaps 10cc. The hooks – and the album is loaded with them — sneak up on you. Definitely, an album that takes some time to show its many facets. The album I bought was a two-record set with opaque yellow vinyl.
It’s a breath of fresh air (supply) infused with a striking, sunshine soul. Perfect medicine for an infected world.
(NOTE: Album is named Automatic World’ — not ‘Automatic for the People, the excellent REM album.)