Album Review
Daysdream
The Shop Window
reviewed by Old Indie Kid
Released date: 3 May 2024 on their own Jangleshop Records
Purchase on CD, vinyl or digital from Daysdream | The Shop Window (bandcamp.com)
The Shop Window are prolific purveyors of jangle pop and I'm privileged enough to have had an early listen to their magnificent third album. They have gone big here returning with a double album and a whopping 16 tracks. The wisdom/foolishness of releasing a double album in the days of streaming is often one that artists have to grapple with. Many of their unsigned contemporaries (The Mariners, The Heavy North, Andrew Johnson) have also dropped a double album recently so they are not alone in this endeavour. The double album idea originated, as many do, whilst Syd and Carl were tucking into the Christmas booze and they even remembered it the next day. They describe Daysdream as two mini albums showcasing two sides to the band - the traditional upbeat janglepop first movement, followed by the unexpected and newfangled dreamy melancholy janglegaze genre.
I Run opens the album with a chirpy janglepop intro that The Cure on uppers would be proud of. Carl says he used five different guitars on this track which justifies some of his recent purchases! The first half of the album has the more familiar sound, but the quality is several notches higher.
Lady Luck calms the tempo with a lush Teenage Fanclub love song vibe. Carl breaks out the 12 string Guild Starfire guitar here to wonderful effect. The influence of The Fifth Shoppy Paul "Reevo" Reeves is felt throughout the new album. Reevo joined after the recording of A 4 Letter Word as a member of the live band and is now unleashed by introducing plenty of new instruments throughout this album.
It's A High was the first single from LP3 and should be familiar to all listeners with their finger on the cultural zeitgeist of janglepop. It's a magical song co-written by Carl and Syd and one of the poppiest singles around. Reevo's saxophone enhances the outro with its unexpected appearance (spoilers).
See Another Day With echoes of Waterfall by The Stone Roses, this chilled stoner song is about living your best life and not being held back whilst striving for your dreams. Presumably this wonderful song ends the first side of the vinyl so time to get up and turn it over already. Maybe order it on CD if you're lazy.
Lost and Alone A short song about the power of love without which things would be much darker. We have the wonderful Kat Mann to thank for keeping Carl in the good mood expressed on this record and she also supplies backing vocals on this song, Blues and Made In Heaven.
Beyond The Stars is a highlight and was written about the disposable quick fix nature of the music industry for those fickle listeners who don't stick around, buy all the albums and write three album reviews for the band. You know who you are! ;-) The joy of creation is evident on this blinding example of The Shop Windows craft.
Cherry Lemonade Syd and Carl wrote this and tweaked the original idea in a melancholy direction. The lyrics and music have an early Stone Roses influence which is magic if you can bottle it. It's sweet without being sickly.
Live To Love & Love Your Life is a song that Carl hopes will resonate with his son when he's older and impart some lyrical wisdom. Reevo's saxophone makes a welcome reappearance at the end.
- Intermission -
And now onto the second side, the highly anticipated janglegaze dreamy side. Carl has mentioned he has some trepidation as to whether the existing fanbase would enjoy their new direction. So, let's see what I thought...squeaky bum time!
Miracles Within seconds the hairs on my arms are standing up as sinister synths swirl and Curesque Disintegration era guitars creep around. By the chorus my heart melts. It's a strong opening and then it grows darker and denser - the layered guitar parts are oppressive yet beautiful and at the three-minute mark the drums and bass kick in and the tension is ratcheted up again. My only quibble is at five minutes it is too short - perhaps you may be lucky enough to catch the full fifteen minutes live wig out. Syd described Miracles as one of his favourite songs in The Shop Window canon.
Blues A recent single with a strong nod and a wink to the OX4 postcode and the legends Ride. A shoegaze love song to lift your spirits and warm your cockles. (I just make this stuff up). Marvellous harmonies towards the end of the song which is one of four songs you can already stream ahead of the release date.
Loneliness was written overnight when Carl was suffering a bout of insomnia and he wanted to capture a woozy haunted sound that reflected his sleep deprived state of mind.
Who's In Control? A political song about the shower of shite that have been running the country into the ground and avoiding responsibility for their actions. Get to the polls!
Monochrome A song that first appeared on the excellent Indie Citizens Vol 2 compilation album. It's brilliant but an unusual sound for the Shoppies somewhere between Inspiral Carpets organ psychedelia mixed with the sneery fast paced rock of Guns N Roses. Welcome to The Jangle!
A World Where We Remain The second single released from the album deals with the heavy themes of man-made environmental collapse and our collective ability to fuck things up. The strings elevate the song to a beautiful place and it's a real tearjerker.
Happy Now This song was written about checking in on those around you and checking if they are Happy Now? They should be - we're all about to get our hands on a magnificent janglepop / janglegaze double album by Maidstone's finest band - The Shop Window.
Made In Heaven Sure it's seven minutes long, but what an epic album closer. A very personal song of Carl singing to his younger self with a hopeful message that says you can forge your own path. You are not doomed to repeat the mistakes of your parents and your genes don't define you. The Ride influence is strong here and it's a janglegaze masterpiece. I've always enjoyed The Shop Window when they get the chance to jam out. We are brought back down to Earth with a soft landing thanks to a wonderful instrumental piano, strings and is that a glockenspiel on the outro? It's one of my favourite songs on the album and one everyone is going to love.
The Shop Window have only gone and done it again - Daysdream is going to blow some fragile little minds wide open. Where they go from here is anyone's guess but hopefully they will receive overwhelming positive feedback distortion that this album deserves and the band responds with fresh and uninhibited jangly directions.
The Shop Window are...
Carl Mann - Vocals / Buying Guitars / Production / Mixing / Mastering / Promotion
Simon Syd Oxlee Vocals / Album Artwork
Martin Corder - Bass / Pro One Synth
Phil Elphee - Drums
Paul Reeves - Guitar / Saxophone / Programming / Bluesky Admin / Musical Box of Tricks
Pre-order vinyl and CD here before they sell out ... Daysdream | The Shop Window (bandcamp.com)
Further Reading: My previous album reviews of The Shoppies.
Old Indie Kid: The Shop Window - The State Of Being Human
Old Indie Kid: The Shop Window - A 4 Letter Word
Listen to my interview with Carl Mann on the August 2023 episode of the Daft Pom Show. The interview starts at 33 minutes and includes a few songs from the third album. Mixcloud