Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Inspiration strikes in the heart of the moment, it can come from anywhere and be the loving parent of the most awesome of art; it is quite a moment when the lightning strikes, when the flashbulb glares and shatters and even when the stimulated insight comes from someone walking up to the stage and taking a picture of what is behind you rather than the performance itself, that is still a moment to record for prosperity.
For Fun of The Pier the new single Cavern Song/(In) My Town is born out of the beauty of such moments, inspiration not only striking gold but hunting down the laminated photograph pass that the Muse in all her infinite wisdom possesses. For when you sit at the table of the International Pop Overthrow and play on the dusk of The Beatles 50 year limelight, the strangest moment is there to be witnessed and remarked upon.
With the promise of a new album to come in the autumn, this taster is so much more than appealing, it is to be congratulated, for as long standing favourites of the I.P.O. crowd, the prospect of a set of songs from Mark and Helen Luker and Richard Snow is one that is heart affirming.
The two songs are expansive, clean, elegant, they have a sense of wistfulness attached to them and the muse proven that she can be entertained and struck by empathy at any point; (In) My Town in particular is shrouded in deep realisation that things are not right in the inner cities of Britain, that there is something stirring in the once bright soul of the youth and the creatively prosperous.
The sense of the bleak, of times lived through and not feeling the warmth of a city happy in its history is one we can all relate to and no matter what happens, the darkness seems to just crawl in steadily. It takes bravery to write a song with such a heart breaking emotion strewn through it, but in doing so it only confirms that Fun of the Pier are a group of strength and willing to peel back the layers of the reveal.
A great single, Cavern Song/(In) My Town, hits all the right notes and the sense of occasion, not afraid to delve deep into human cost and emotion, this is only the start of something cool.
Fun of the Pier will be giving this single away free over the weekend of this year’s I.P.O. Their shows are Saturday 20th at 14.45 in the Live Lounge of The Cavern and Sunday 21st May at 12.00 on the Beatles Stage.
Ian D. Hall