The Album Club: The Superimposers - Harpsichord Treacle

January's offering from The Album Club is a mellow, funky and joyous offering from The Superimposers.


I'll admit, I'd never heard of The Superimposers until this gem fell through my letterbox. The Superimposers are Dan Warden and Miles Copeland and this is their third album. It's released in conjunction with the launch of their new label, Wonderfulsound.

Now, the idea of trundling around the ethers of the British pop scene, playing small venues and intimate sets has a charming ring to it. That charm and an enjoyment of making good music really comes through in this album. The Album Club Fold talks about fuzzy psychedelia and maverick originality, they're not wrong. There's a Summer of Love vibe that goes hand in hand with smart, witty and fun song writing. They're the kind of songs that you write because you want to share something, not just through lyrics, but also through a melody or a rhythm.

The undoubted triumph of the album is track 2, 'The Northern Song'. A dramatic, driving bass line keeps the pace in an addictive manner that's difficult to get out of your head. As the album goes on, more soulful efforts are abound, allowing this album to prove itself as one of many talents. Again referring to The Fold, it's clear that much talent was put in to it. The Superimposers list an enigmatic range of instruments that contributed to the making of their interesting sound. They list such delights as Vibraphones, Harps and the cool sounding Omnichord.

Towards the end of the album, 'Hand Me Downs' shows anthemic qualities. It's one to whistle along to, sing along to if the mood takes you. It's not quite stadium sized pop, but it might do for a local live venue and I'm sure the crowds are appreciative of such catchy tunes.

I'll admit that the charm and fun isn't present in all songs in the album, some of them suffering from being a little flat, or dull. However, it is for the most part a very enjoyable record and one that I've enjoyed sharing with a couple of friends this month.

Last week's Album Club e-mail promised exciting things for February's selection. I can't wait to see what it is. In the mean time, there's plenty more for me to discover in this Harpsichord Treacle.