McFly
Radio:ACTIVE
Story goes that McFly’s label wanted them to evolve into a chillout act…a bit strange or what ? Of all the poprock combo’s you might term ‘doing well’, McFly do not on past form seem to be headed in that direction. I did see them a while ago opening for Busted as the latter peaked before imploding and I liked their exuberance and the fact that they did seem to be able to play pretty well. The songs were not aimed at the likes of me of course, but they seemed to doing what they aimed at with a sense of fun and with energy.
At this point then, the group have chosen to reassert what they perceive as their true nature and make more of their own decisions. Of course, pop groups and artists can mature and develop. You couldn’t make a case for that being a good or bad thing. I don’t think Midge Ure has really produced anything I find listenable during his tenures with early pop bands or Ultravox ; but Stephen Stills was nearly a Monkee. Mike Nesmith WAS a Monkee and went on to produce a virtual template canon of country/pop/rock work that does not seem to date. Then there’s George Michael….
So in the here and now, McFly seem to be ready to take their established following (now growing up fast, as happens to us all) and progress..but into what ? Giving away a new album (you can buy an expanded version with a DVD, pretty shrewd) with a Sunday paper makes a statement of a kind. The move enabled Prince make the most of his season of London shows, even though his compositions these days are a far cry in quality from his heyday.
Clearly, McFly are still writing apace. Their new set kicks off with ‘Do Ya’ and has distant echoes of The Hollies set in a dense pop production, crying out for audience singalongs – a vocal-over-just-drums passage confirming the intent. ‘Falling In Love’ goes for steady faux-Petty feel and is tuneful enough to get by. It is almost as if they have worked out carefully what moods a classic pop album should go through. And maybe they have. They won’t be the last act to do this, for sure. ‘Smile’ confirms this notion, it sounds like a Joan Jett outtake. McFly are never too far from a McCartneyesque catchy chorus, but they do this stuff so well and they stay in tune. So what if it echoes most Top Ten pop acts from the Sixties ? What were The Knack after all ?
A doowop/Beach Boys intro starts ‘Smile’, with only the fuzz guitar really distinguishing it from an early Bria Wilson effort ; ‘Corrupted’ has an edgier sound and suddenly the whole group sound much more convincing, especially the band’s drummer. The guitar fills sound more organic and less grafted-on-for-impact. This reviewer suspects that this fast-chug material is what the ensemble REALLY wants to play but I am happy for any member of McFly to put me right on that.
‘The Heart Never Lies’ is so clearly ‘one for the girls’ it hurts, but it’s no crime to play songs like this. By ‘Going Through The Motions’ they are back where I reckon they now feel more liberated, punching through the song with a Raspberries touch. Now there’s a band they should check out imho…
Pete Sargeant www.fairhearing.co.uk
