One day you deign to let Radiohead play support for you, Noel Gallagher is
your roadie and the critics are lining up to give you their last Rolo, the next
it's disappointment for all when the Frank And Walters legend falls short of
commercial efficacy, especially when the pre-grunge optimism that is emblematic
of the Cork group continues to win friends and influence people well after they
drop off the radar.
The Franks' wild years are covered here in Souvenirs, a double album
of the group's B-sides and left-overs, including an alternative ‘How Can
I Exist’, a remarkable Kevin Shields remix of ‘Take Me Through This
Life’ and various other treats that sound remarkably fresh and
interesting some ten years too late.
It is worth noting how contemporary acts like Kaiser Chiefs will try to
re-imagine the pop of ten years ago through retrospective irony and hindsight;
the same melodies are banked with the advantage of time-tested formulae and new
myths are mass-produced. Consider this when you listen to Souvenirs.
The Franks were doing it when it was neither popular nor profitable, and the
impact of Paul Linehan's delivery of “Don't you waste your time”
easily gives the faux-oldies a run for their money.
Though polished, these songs aren't new, so any attempt to dissect them is
entirely academic. A glance at the track listing — which includes a cover
of The Smiths' ‘Cemetary Gates’ that manages to sound almost as
moribund and meaningful as Moz — is sufficient to justify the cover
price, which is nothing for a piece of lost time, right?
If you want your youth brought to vivid life in the audio study of cheery
pop-rally, look no further.
Lisa Coen
Rating: 8 / 10
