No Hope, No Future
Brille Records/PIAS
Belonging to that school of British indie rock/pop that includes Pigeon Detectives, Maximo Park and Kaiser Chiefs, Good Shoes stick to the tried- and-tested without sounding like also-rans.
The blend of pop tunes and jingle-jangle guitars on their 2007 debut (
Think Before You Speak
) was well received; No Hope, No Future might seem as if it were titled in the furnace of 1977 punk rock, but that belies the album's innate sense of chart-friendly tunes and sharp attention to indie detail. As befits a record made for a grand total of £5,000 (including the cost of tea and sandwiches, we are informed), the production values aren't exactly of Timbaland-like quality. But with music that spikes (
Everything You Do
) and spits (
Times Change
) without spilling your drink or stepping on your toes, such a fact is neither here nor there. www.good shoes.co.uk
Download tracks: The Way My Heart Beats, Everything You Do, Our Loving Mother in a Pink Diamond
