The School

COVERS CAN say quite a bit. The beautiful frontage of The School’s Wasting Away and Wondering (Elefant records) whispers 1965 meets a Belle and Sebastian EP.

Song titles too can hint to the contents within: titles such as Put Your Hand In Mind and My Heart’s Beating Overtimesuggest an early 60s simplicity and an intricate beauty that reminds one of the 80s twee fad.

I’m not disappointed either when the disk hits the laser. Pop music is about internal singalongs and tolerable earworms andWasting Away and Wondering hits those buttons.

In an age of, on the one hand, mindless celeb-obsessed glamour and glitsch culture onslaught and the in-depth, worldy-wise thoughtful views explored by the Passion Is A Fashion blog, it’s heartening to indulge in lyrics such as “First time I saw you with that smile upon your face/ I knew I would have to make you mine,”. Easy-on-the-ear soundscapes that ease you into the day or make the pre-bedtime routine so much more happier.

The words are entirely the copyright of Liz Hunt, the group’s vocalist who also chips in on keyboards and percussion. But it is a band, and she is accompanied by Andy Regan, Ryan Cox, Harri Davidson, Kay Russant, Steph Doble and Fran Dimech. I’m unfamiliar with The School but this is their third album.

Melodies are everywhere but Wasting Away and Wondering has some swoonsome influences, notably from Motown on Do I Love You? but you can detect the effervescent candy-pop glory of the Altered Images on the title track.

Hunt et al slow it down a bit with some tender moments on Don’t Worry Baby (I Don’t Love You Anymore) but this isn’t what The School is really about, and the upbeat slaps down the moody material. This is a record for ice cream days and nights watching Val Doonican Christmas Specials on YouTube.