Music > Album Reviews

Feet - What's Inside Is More Than Just Ham

25/06/19

‘What’s Inside Is Just More Than Just Ham’ is an impressively composed first effort from Coventry quintet, Feet. In an era where guitar led music is making a glorious comeback, it would be easy for a fledgling band to fall unnoticed into the midst of a movement spear-headed by outfits like Sports Team and Shame. However, the melding of psychedelia-infused guitar lines and poetic, witty lyricism that pervades Feet’s debut album cut them aside from the ranks of post-punk groups who dominate the national scene.

First track Good Richard’s Crash Landing sets the tone for what’s to follow with a blissful melody straight from the Beatle’s playbook ricocheting between groove-laden riffs from the two duelling guitarists.

Lead singles Ad Blue and English Weather are strong follow-ups of the opener; the range of styles explored in the duo is testament to the vast potential this band possesses. From the funk bassline which drives Ad Blue to the sarcastic, self-aware lyrics on English Weather, the group knocks out a myriad of influences for fun, whilst still maintaining their own brand. However, this strays a little close to the line on the reworked version of Petty Thieving, where the opening riff bears an uncanny resemblance to Shame’s Friction.

As the album progresses, the post-punk vibes gradually mellow and give way to a series of tracks which drift ethereally along the airwaves. Chalet 47 is one such gem, with the beautiful vocal melody in the chorus evolving into a dreamy climax where reverb-drenched slide guitar complements falsetto lines.

The final two tracks see the band seemingly lose interest, to the point where frontman Jeep utters sarcastically 'I’m just taking the…piss’ on Wiggy Pop, a meandering number which feels undercooked somehow. This quintessentially British humour endures throughout; on penultimate track ‘What’s Inside is More Than Just Ham’, the line “Hot dog… in a hot bun world!” is shouted with all the intensity of Mel Gibson doing his iconic ‘Freedom’ speech in Braveheart.