The Plimptons – The Plimptons are Cynical and Bloated

Cynical and bloated are two things The Plimptons are most definitely not. Their three-chord buzzsaw garage rock is better described as lean and playful. The Motherwell six-piece have been on the go since 1999 and have never wavered from a formula of writing 150 second songs with ultra-repetitive choruses. This, their fourth LP, does not find them on top form – a fact the band seem to acknowledge themselves in the album title.

Too many tracks grate rather than amuse. Never Going Back to Work and A Call Centre Job Over the Summer suggest that The Plimptons might not be enjoying life away from the band as much as they once did. But they remain persistently upbeat, if somewhat reflective, on tracks like Britpop Girl and I Wanna Dance. This is a band who can find humour in the banal – but sadly not often enough to make this record a standout venture.