THE WAVE PICTURES Vinilo y CD

Review: It's been a while since we encountered The Wave Pictures, and it's safe to say they're every bit as welcome today as they were in 1998, when predecessor project Blind Summit was founded. There's always something incredibly charming but also truly funny about their work. Far from comedy rock, which has a restrictive shelf life after which it almost becomes unlistenable, nevertheless David Tattersall et al are guaranteed to make you crack a knowing smile.

Wry and truly witty lyrics packed with the kind of romanticism that is both genuine and downtrodden, it's been said before there's a debt owed to The Smiths, with main man capable of sublime poetry pitted with the ridiculous. French Cricket, both track and EP, is a great example of this. A collection of songs as musically impressive (acoustic rock, folk-leaning stuff and gruff heady blues rock) as they are entertaining.

Review: 'Sonic honesty' - characterised by a nakedness of voice and dryness in production - is central to folk rock music. It's a sound that was more or less nailed by The Wave Pictures upon their formation in 2005, and now inevitably in 2022, come their latest LP. 'When The Purple Emperor Spreads His Wings' is a long and sprawling album of folk-garage drama, testament to the Leicester outfit's propensity for frank lyrics, space-country themes (case in point: 'This Heart Of Mine'), and roadrunner-style carefreeness.