The Shop Window A 4 Letter Word

Album Review

A 4 Letter Word

The Shop Window

reviewed by Old Indie Kid 

Release date: 25th November 2022 on Vinyl & CD with a digital release in December. 

Pre-order a physical copy today before they sell out! 

theshopwindow.bandcamp.com/

spinoutproductions.com/shop/

Maidstone’s greatest indie jangle pop band, The Shop Window have returned with a second album of delicious aural treats.  But before I dive into that, let's reflect on their journey so far.  During the Britpop years Carl & Syd were members of 90's band Westpier - label mates of Sleeper.  The friends reunited in 2018 when Carl returned to Kent after years of living overseas and they added Phil and Martin to complete The Shop Window line-up.  Their first release was on Bandcamp at Christmas 2019, and they followed up during the lockdowns with a string of singles, a 7" vinyl, and award-winning videos before dropping their debut album in June 2021 - The State Of Being Human.     

Mere months after the debut album, they started playing gigs and releasing singles from the follow up, which will soon be in your hands, your ears and your life.  They have released a second 7" on indie label Spinout Nuggets, a wonderful acoustic EP (raising funds for MacMillan Cancer Support), a second Christmas single, and a Forgotten single in collaboration with new music legends Sean Buckley, Jen Dixon & Chris James Willows.     

The second album has been in the can for months, but they delayed the release date until confirmation that the vinyl pressing plants could keep up with the demand for this highly anticipated second album.  No need to fear - Spinout Nuggets and the band are pleased to announce they are taking pre-orders and licking stamps, so your stockings needn't be empty this Christmas!     

But how does this second set rate as a collection of songs?  Does it hang together well, does it have overarching themes, maybe even a character ark?  That’s what I will now attempt to answer, with a track-by-track review.  I will also be trying to decipher the cryptic crossword clue set in the album's title - A 4 Letter Word. Crucially, what is that word, and more importantly, is it a rude one?

The Shoppies 2022

Eyes Wide Shut, a recent 7" single, opens the album with a gorgeous slice of upbeat jangle cake with a catchy chorus and harmonies.  My favourite part is the second half when the vocals end (no offence intended), but this is when the music rises, and you can enjoy the tightness of the band.  Some great "Wah-Wah" effects, and the final moments remind me of something just out of reach - perhaps the strings heard on Jollification by The Lightning Seeds?  Solid start to album #2.

With Love To Lead, the second track, is full of imagined chivalrous actions as Kings, Princes and Knights fight each other to win the hand of ye Maiden fair.  Noble quests are undertaken, and honourable stands are made.  I think the 4-Letter Word must be one highly favoured  by The Beatles, and it's the unifying theme of the album.

The Lay Of The Land was the first single released way back in November 2021.  Musically, The Shoppies are drifting into the otherworldliness of 60's psychedelia (Pictures of Matchstick Men) and borrowing images from Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland.  The opening line “Time will take its toll down the rabbit hole” also links to one of the major themes from the debut album - that of aging.  The song also confirms that LOVE is "the meaning of life".  The song's reference to Magpies links to the imagery for the single and album covers - each has a silhouette of an animal with a heart.    

Dancing Light is a wonderful composition, echoing the jangling goodness of a Smiths record. Dancing Light is sweetness and light and has a stirring chorus full of emotion. Great harmonics on the repeated refrain "Let me feel the love , sweeps me up in waves, falling from above, moves in many ways".  It’s a tender song that lets the listeners in behind The Shop Window. 

It’s By Design deals with the idea of whether fate or chance determines who we form relationships with. "Stars aligned to make this history, so they say".  The musical interplay between the band is excellent and very engaging to the listener, especially in what I will term the middle eight / bridge / bit in the middle with no singing. (I dropped out of recorder lessons aged 5 and my musical terminology has only marginally improved).  Trust me it's very catchy and this would be a stand-out track for most albums - but a 4 Letter Word has such a high-quality threshold that it's an album of highlights.   

Circles Go Round is the opening song on Side B (get it on vinyl if you want your circle to go around).  Circles Go Round sounds like former single Out Of Reach's riff and beats were put in a blender on high speed.  It’s another jaunty Smiths-esque tune that seems to oscillate between speeds.  It’s bound to have crowds of middle-aged fans putting their backs out trying to dance to this at live gigs.  The song was written about Carl and Syd, getting the band back together and creating new music as old friends.  "Jump start the heart again, sit back and ride the wave... Years roll by, let this define us". 

Lighthouse is a truly fantastic song.  A tale of anxiety being overcome by LOVE, hope, and other ace things.  A lovely LOVE song written by Carl to his wife. "When you radiate light it's a window to the heart of you. Lighthouse of hope sending a beacon to my call".  It'll melt your heart and leave you singing, "ba ba-ba ba-ba ba" as it fades away.   

        

That Feeling is, in my humble opinion, the closest The Shop Window have come to the early sounds of The Stone Roses, and that's not a comparison I make lightly.  This is perfect lush indie pop and wrapped up in less than 3 minutes. The chorus proclaims, "When I get that That Feeling I'm alive". (However, the correct answer is "I need sexual healing").   

Maid Of Stone is catchy, yet mysterious.  To me it speaks of childhood and a mother's LOVE "It's in this place where we began, where we walked before we ran" and "Inspiration - TV Screens, in shop windows, chasing dreams, Sheltered by a Maid of Stone".  I absolutely adore this song from my Maidstone brothers.      

Low sounds magnificent and it is well placed as the final track on the album.  The frustration of the Covid lockdowns is captured by the lyrics "A year disappeared, frozen in time, never get it back, Mother Nature's crime".  A world-weary song where Carl sings of "running on fumes" and a determination to keep your head above water and try not to fall into despair.  The music is heavily influenced by the slower majestic Blur songs - and it wears it well.  It builds to a good place and ends the album with LOVE as the savior.   

    

Conclusion - if you loved the first album - this is even better. If you haven't discovered The Shop Window before, then are you in for a treat!   

theshopwindow.bandcamp.com/

spinoutproductions.com/shop/

Further reading - My review of The Shop Window debut album The State Of Being Human

Did you know???  Carl co-wrote a song called Ocean Blue sang by Kylie Minogue.  Hear it below.  

(50) Ocean Blue (B-Side) Kylie Minogue - YouTube

The Shop Window

Album Review

The State of Being Human

The Shop Window

reviewed by Old Indie Kid 

Release date: 25th June 2021 on Vinyl and CD and a later release date on digital platforms. 

Pre-order a physical copy today before they sell out

https://theshopwindow.bandcamp.com/

https://www.spinoutproductions.com/shop/

The State of Being Human is the debut album from Maidstone’s The Shop Window.  As a supporter of the band, and with Maidstone on my birth certificate, I’ve been entrusted with early access to the album. Whilst reviewing an album in depth means you play each track multiple times, I’m pleased to report that the  more I play it, the more I like it, and I’ve been spinning The State of Being Human like a Roberto Carlos free kick. 

The origins of the The Shop Wiindow can be traced back to 1990s band Westpier in which Carl Mann and Simon ‘Syd’ Oxlee once plied their trade.   They were label mates and still friends with Sleeper. After Westpier folded, Carl became an occasional Sleeperbloke and still plays with Sleeper from time to time. Carl spent many years overseas and lived in New Zealand for many years.  He played guitar on some of Kylie’s tours and even penned a Kylie b-side in 2000.

When Carl returned to Kent a few years ago he started a band with friends Phil Elphee on drums and Martin Corder on bass guitars and backing vocals.  They crafted some great songs and the group’s lineup was completed when Syd joined them on vocals and keys.  The Shop Window began releasing music in December 2019 with the free download of Christmas single Signpost On their Bandcamp site.  During the lockdown or what some clever wit recently dubbed, the Bandemic, The Shop Window tested the water and raised their profile in the new music scene with a string of well received singles and issued their debut 7”vinyl on DIY outfit Spinout Nuggets.

So that’s their potted history and now, after three decades, the moment has finally arrived when they release an album.  I was excited for this release so I can only imagine how the band are feeling.  Perhaps they are dreading the critical reviews from the darkest corners of the internet?  Fear not my Maidstonian Brethren, I have nothing but praise for the wonderful State of Being Human album.  I haven’t reviewed a full album in detail before so this is my debut album review of The Shop Window’s debut album. So let’s dive straight in to the first slice of delicious Jangle Cake.

Mannequin Lies

The Shop Window is the face you put on to the world whilst, your feelings are hidden beneath.  This was their first real single in April 2020.  The band are tight and and intricate jangling guitars and harmonies place this sonically in the late 80s early 90s period.  For someone who enjoyed the music of that period it will evoke nostalgia and there are reference points to other great bands that emerge from many of these songs.  Ultimately it sounds like The Shop Window to me as they have crafted a cohesive sound from their influences of past masters of jangly indie pop.  

Ride It (Whilst You Can) 

The second track opens with a stabbing piano before the chiming guitars return. The theme here is to live it whilst you can and don’t let anyone - especially yourself dissuade you from following your dream. As contemporary band The Shed Project put it “You only get one shot to live your life”.  This isn’t the cocky voice of youth singing “We’re gonna live forever” but a more mature reflections “don’t hang on regrets” and “don’t be guilty of broken dreams”.  The lyrics certainly resonate with us middle aged indie kids and the pulsating indie pop music drives it along.  

Out of Reach 

Imagine Ride playing Echo Beach from a helicopter while the world revolves at 45rpm. A quote so good I’ve revived it and embellished it for the album review.  This is a lockdown song, being trapped inside, lamenting the wasted days, weeks, months and missing the people and places that are out of reach during this pandemic.  The sense of loss for days that could have been. The repetition of another day inside are juxtaposed with the life affirming frantic indie guitar music.  Someone recently suggested that an album can be judged on the strength of track three. Well this bodes well for The State of Being Human. The awesome video won an award and is worth viewing.  

Break Down Walls 

This song has a lovely singalong vibe and echoes of The La’s.  It is a calmer moment that briefly slows the pace of the album. Break Down Walls is about reaching out and offering support to help another in need.  It continues the theme of breaking down the barriers that humans build around themselves.

Calling Out

There’s a little nod to Girls on Film by Duran Duran on this one. Or is it just me?  It opens with a baying crowd listening to a speech.  The imaged past can’t be recaptured and this song is calling out to embrace the future.  I doubt I’ld be too far off target to say it was written about Brexit but it could also be applied to other political issues.  It’s a calling for humans to come together, and change the current path we are taking and expose the liers who led us here. That’s my take on this song - it’s a political calling to rise up and do something unspecified to change the direction.  The mood is angry as befits a political song but it takes a wonderful musical shift towards optimism with one of my favourite moments on the album when The Shop Window go full “Vapour Trail” whilst calling on people to wake up and not to delay action.  As we know rebellions are built on hope.

Disengage The Robots 

Human connection is being reduced to brief interactions between the domination of technology that has crept into everyone’s lives. A parent’s concern that their child’s life will be dominated by their mobile devices.  I hear a sly nod towards Giorgio Moroder, and Together in Electric Dreams, which is rather appropriate. It is a sentiment I can relate to as I stream this album on one device whilst reviewing it on another.  

Flags

Side 2 of the album (I’m getting this on limited edition vinyl so it has two sides in my mind) opens with another uplifting protest song.  I’m guessing it could be nationalism but The Shop Window avoid preaching about specifics so it won’t date the song. “If they wave their flags for you I’ll raise mine higher and set it on fire”. The Shop Window urge the listener to act, “nail your colours to the mast” and refuse to be passive consumer of whatever’s been spoon-fed.  Like many of my favourite, er mature aged indie bands, they still have the fire in their bellies and fury about injustices.  The ever present jangly guitars are accompanied by a choir of backing vocals and some cheery Robert Smith style “do do do dos”.  

Evacuate

This was the song that first turned my attention to The Shop Window last year when MobyTanner featured it in one of his first Rebirth of Cool blogs.  It was released as a double A-side with Out of Reach in January as a perfect 7” vinyl.  The music sounds like it was made by a supergroup containing Teenage Fanclub, Ride and The Wedding Present.  Carl attributes the frantic pace with the origins of the song  being written to keep up with his son’s dance moves.  The themes on Evacuate stem from the anxiety of constantly moving “chasing jet streams”  and not setting down roots.  

2nd Book

A funky bassline with a Charlatans vibe.  There is some reverb or possibly reverse reverb? “On the second book of the trilogy of life”. Another song about embracing the reality of aging and seeing where it takes you rather than trying to relive your youth.

Sad Eyes

Continuing the themes of human connections, aging and reminiscing is previous single Sad Eyes written following Carl’s visit with Nana Shop Window.  This wasn’t originally intended for the album but maybe it’s popularity as a single and the themes fitted well with the rest of the album.

I Realise 

A love song about the dependency between a couple separated by distance.  The guitars are set to understated Johnny Marr.

Jack’s Lullaby

Ending the album on a beautiful instrumental track.  It does remind me of the softer moments on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and The Shop Window even add sleigh bells to the mix and I’m a sucker for them.

So that concludes my track by track deep dive into the album.  I suggest you be quick about it if you want a copy on vinyl or CD.  You’ll be supporting the band, improving your record collection and you’ll get to hear it before the streamers.  Don’t be a Johnny-Come-Lately, splash your cash and reserve your copy of  2021’s jangliest album for your music collection. Capital idea! 

The advertising campaign alone is worthy of an award so kudus to whoever created these brilliant teaser videos.