The year 1997 effectively marked the end of the fabulous Britpop era as the Big Music sounds of The Verve, Radiohead, and Spiritualized dominated the airwaves, charts, and critics' praise. With erstwhile standard-bearer Blur adopting an atonal approach ala Pavement in their eponymous fifth album, it appeared that (notwithstanding Supergrass' masterful "In It For The Money") the mainstream attraction in the U.K. of melodic pop-rock was now at an end. 1998 was an even worse year for British music as critical support for the tuneless anti-pop wonder of the post-rock movement and the relentless juggernaut of the fashionable pre-fabricated "boy/girl" groups drove the record companies away from classic pop-rock, despite commendable efforts from The Montrose Avenue, Gomez, and the Supernaturals.
So here we are in 1999 and Bristol quartet Straw stand poised to stake their claim as the forerunners of a Britpop revival with their driving psychedelic guitar pop. Formed from the ashes of Please, Straw were formed when college mates Mattie Bennett (vocals, guitar) and Roger Power (bass) began writing and recording demos. They were later signed by WEA at the end of last year after sparking an industry buzz with those demos. With electronics wizard Duck and drummer Andy Nixon completing the equation, Straw have produced, together with Gay Dad's "Leisure Noise," one of the best pop debuts of the year.
"Shoplifting," which was recorded in around six weeks, is a heady diverse mix of classic pop-rock, techno overtones (supplied by Duck's Eno-like noises) and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. In many ways, Shoplifting just may represent the second coming of Blur, if the Essex band had not chosen their current direction. This is clearly evident from the music hall quality of "The Aeroplane Song" which sounds like a lost hit single from Blur's "The Great Escape" and is of all things an ironic paean to that German carrier - "Lufthansa go where you want to go / Lufthansa I can't stay / Singing auf wiedersehen."
On the "Anthem For The Low In Self-Esteem," Bennet grumbles that "He said I'll never be the face on a magazine" but reassures himself that "Everybody loves me / Always thinking of me" sung to a catchy power pop tune. And on "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave" ("So why don't you bite me!"), Straw throws at us disco grooves and cheesy strings whilst mouthing lines like "She took her shirt off and said 'This is a bust...'" Priceless!
Something for every discerning pop enthusiast and more, let's hope that this is merely the start of a great new wave of Britpop. We have suffered and waited long enough.

Kevin Mathews

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