Fun, Frenetic, Fast Paced and lots of other things beginning with F!!! (I Should Coco - Supergrass)

Member Name: paulie1975

Product:	I Should Coco - Supergrass
Date:	12/05/09 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliant songs, great lyrics, vocals and instruments excellent

Disadvantages: Too short for some

I should Coco was the debut album by Oxford based three piece Supergrass, the album was vibrant, fun and really fitted with the early nineties era of indie music and Britpop. Characterised by the charming anthem 'Alright' this album was a storming pop-punk debut which really labelled the band with a sound and image they subsequently found it difficult to move on from, at one point it is alleged that Steven Spielberg even offered to help them produce a tv series similar to the sixties cult classic, 'The Monkees.

Album Tracks

I'd Like to Know - This is a storming opener, like a crazed pub band on acid, this mixes sixties influences with superb musicianship, the lead singer Gaz Coombes is distinctive in looks and sound and this is a really cool slice of fast paced sixties pop, the song moves about quite a bit but the chorus is really catchy and the drums and guitars are punchy and the song has a real charm to it.

Caught By the Fuzz - The story of a teenager being nicked by the police for a minor drugs offence, this is a funny and enthralling song, it's really good lyrically, the choruses and melodies are excellent and the whole story unravels perfectly, its exactly how an innocent teenager would feel, thinking what the hell have I done, I'm never doing this again. The guitars are thrashy and the drumming is exceptional, this is a charming warning to kids not to use drugs!!!
Mansize Rooster - The bands first single, thumping drums, melodic piano and then fast frenetic guitars and a wicked pop song, it does sound different with choruses that could have been done by the Muppets, its really interesting, part Small Faces, part Chas and Dave, part Muppet Show, as with the album its charming, fun and has a great pace and beat. Gaz sounds cool on here, the lyrics are decent too. A great debut song.

Alright - The song this band will always be known for it really is a classic British pop song and will be relevant in twenty years time too, it sums up summertime and being a kid, its fun, the pianos and guitars are fast but not overwhelming, the chorus is singalong and it has the feel of a poppy knees up, I love the chorus, the melodies, the lyrics, this is one of those perfect pop songs which just have that unforgettable quality. Its far better than Alright in my book.

Lose It - An attempt at more grown up music, the drums and guitars sound a lot more punky on this song, Gaz has effects on his voice and it makes it sound more mature, the song is more serious and this is a thrashy effort, the rising chorus is pretty cool if not a bit of a mess, it's a good song, well produced and well performed, though not one of the albums highlights.

Lenny - I love this song, it starts heavily with drums and guitar throbbing in unison, really building up a sense of purpose for a prolonged period, Gaz sings perfectly, the band play really tightly, it is a cool song with lots of variation and layers, its not a simple song, it is pretty messed up and all the better for it, as with the whole album, its wonderfully produced, it sounds messy but isn't at all.

Strange Ones - Starts with an ethereal sound and some strange voices and then morphs into a rampant guitar led song about a place where the strange ones go, this is a cool fun lo-fi tune which has no real point but is a thrashy fun type of song none the less. It slows down and speeds up and the band really like messing with their songs, it works once again, this is an impressive song.

Sitting up Straight - Where the hell did this come from, it sounds like the theme tune to a seventies ITV drama about life in the Yorkshire dales, then the mad guitar kicks in and we have Gaz sounding as clear as he has on the album, this is frenetic and all over the place, it sums up the album, fast paced, a short song, great musicianship, writing and production and then its gone, almost forgotten immediately.

My View:

This is a classic 90's indie album for me, it was one of the albums I loved most growing up, its short and punchy and at under 9 songs, it gets its point across and leaves you, like a short, sharp shock.

Gaz Coombes voice is superb throughout, its unique and fast paced and he really hits his notes perfectly, the guitar and drums are superb too, fast, frenetic but totally in control.

I love the production of the album, the songs are all catchy but break down into much more complex pieces and its interesting to come back to, this could easily have come from the sixties from a band like the Kinks or Small Faces, but has a cheeky nineties modernity to it too. There are some classic songs including Alright, Caught by the Fuzz and Mansize Rooster and overall its an album I would recommend for a house party on a summers evening, its short, fun and really lively and it makes you feel charged up. Lyrically it veers from sublime to ridiculous but these guys are much more than catchy tunes and silly haircuts there is real substance to their music.



Cost

£8.98 on Amazon its cheaper at their marketplace, or worth looking on Ebay for a cheaper CD.

Summary: Fantastic Debut from the Grass