Milburn are four mates from Sheffield who are not the Arctic Monkeys. I couldn’t care less about the Arctic Monkeys or whether this second album from Milburn helps to distance them or stamp their own individual identity down on vinyl (“vinyl” just sounds a better word when saying such things so lets gloss over any digital age inaccuracies) so lets forget that comparison now. Writing a full albums worth of all new material just a year after their debut, Well Well Well says something, probably something good, about the band. Especially one touted as at their best performing live.
And the album is okay. On second listen it’s quite fine. Third time round and aye, I’m admitting that it’s good. The initial impression is set strongly by first single, What Will You Do (When The Money Goes)? with it’s stabby guitars flowing into The Shadows styled twangs. The themes remain similar throughout the rest of the album; Wolves At Bay has some great stop-start stuff going on in there, again very Hank Marvin; Lucy Lovemenot ups the pace slightly to get the head nodding and foot tapping; Sinking Ships slows down into a competent ballad moment for the guitar to get lovely and bassy; Count To 10 manages some good vocal melodies. Cowboys And Indians is a great stand out track, a jumpy, spiky fun and playful anthem for live shows.
On first listen I’d written that the album tried to update the sixties and incorporate that into today’s indie rock pop but failed due to the sixties being a bit rubbish without it’s required tacky retro kitsch. But after a couple more plays I am won over and the sixties influence on the record has become quite endearing. These Are The Facts is a grower.
