Pugwash, fronted by Thomas Walsh of Duckworth Lewis Method fame, have recently found themselves in the spotlight as a result of their album ‘The Olympus Sound‘ being nominated for the Meteor Choice Music Prize, and rightly so. Although in my opinion unlikely to win the coveted prize, it is certainly worthy of nomination and is likely to increase in popularity with its pleasant lyrics and Walsh’s delicious vocals.
It is a futile task to attempt to review the album without drawing comparisons to Foo Fighters. Although comparing little known bands to world-famous acts is, often, both cliched and lazy, it is unavoidable in this case. If the album was played to someone unaware of the creators, they would more than likely think it was an unreleased Foo Fighters album because of the alarmingly similar vocals and spot-on pace and sentiment within each song. This may not have been intentional, but the influence is clear, and it is not necessarily a bad thing: Foo Fighters did not climb to the height they are at now by being average.
The twelve track album has some tracks merely worthy of mention, such as the Fall Down and Dear Belinda, both nice songs, but ones you may be inclined to skip over. The more attention grabbing songs on the album include the Beatles-esque Here We Go Round Again, which tip-toes along the line between pop music and alternative rock, resulting in an easy-to-listen-to, sing-along number; possibly their best chance at success in the singles chart. One of the more touching songs on the album is Such A Beauty Thrown Away, showing the band’s more sensitive side. Walsh sings lyrics to which most people would be able to relate, and they are united with soft music including feint but delightful strings backing up the chorus.
As already pointed out, while deserving of a Choice Music Prize nod, The Olympus Sound is not likely to be victorious (* outsiders according to Paddy Power), particularly when faced with such strong opposition. The reason for this is perhaps that it is not possible to deter from remarking on the similarities between Foo Fighters and this album, although the comparison must be flattering, it simply means that it is nothing that hasn’t been done before. The Olympus Sound is more akin to the rock icons’ less interesting albums, ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace’, for example, and it is therefore ever so slightly less than astonishing. This does not take away from the sheer talent the album professes, nor does it mean the album is not worth a listen. It is an album that any music fan would revisit every once in while to appreciate its simple, down-to-earth lyrics and well structured melodies.
* Link to Paddy Power odds to provide a context