Graham Day & The Gaolers - Soundtrack to the Daily Grind

Picture the Norf of Engurland in the late 60s; Lambrettas zip about working class streets and workmen with dirty hands sit down to a cooked breakfast as nonchalant waitresses pour the last cup of coffee from the pot, cigarette hanging from one lip. This record is as 60s garage as modern rock can feasibly get without tearing open time and space. It also clearly prides itself on its down-to-earthliness with track titles such as On the Pull, Part-time Dad and of course Soundtrack to the Daily Grind. Fans of the Small Faces won't hear much new here and the pseudo-political overtones of some lyrics are a little too elementary, but the musicianship is competent and the Gaolers make no attempt to pass this LP off as anything other than distinctly retro. With gritty Northern realism being so in vogue right now, it's easy to see why this album might go down rather well in some quarters. [Chris Cusack]