Inspiral Carpets - Inspiral Carpets
Pleasant enough, but unlikely to set the world on fire.
Following various line-up changes, splits and reunions, in 2012 the original line-up of the Inspirals played together for the first time in 24 years. This album by that original line-up is the first new material by the band in 20 years.
I pretty much ignored them first time round. Madchester left me cold so I didn't really know what to expect of this. For the most part, it is a decent enough collection inspired by the 60s garage rock of the Nuggets collections, full of organ and fuzzy guitar. There are exceptions: the Stranglers tinged Monochrome; You're So Good For Me and Changes; the brilliant soaring Calling Out To You; John Cooper Clarke's monologue on Let You Down; the frankly turgid ballad Flying Like A Bird.
Other than the dire Flying Like a Bird this is pleasant enough but nothing apart from Calling out to you and Let You Down stands out or demands another listen.
(5/10)