The Zutons - 'Tired Of Hanging Around' (Deltasonic) Released 17/04/06

Halfway through Tired Of Hanging Around’s second song the nightmares about The Zutons’ ‘difficult second album’ seem to be coming horribly to life. Following the turgid rock sound of the title track opener, Dave McCabe is addressing the burning subject of hangovers in the similarly gloopy 'It’s The Little Things We Do'. He sings, almost unbelievably, “I go downstairs and try to make a sandwich/ The ham and cheese, the margarine speak an evil language/ They say, ‘Don’t eat me, I don’t deserve to be on your stomach.’/ I break down and cry, ‘Why did the good times turn to bummers?’”

Well, quite. You wonder if things can get any worse. Fortunately for all concerned they don’t. Although ‘Tired Of Hanging Around’ sounds like a band struggling to shake off the pressures of following up the far-reaching success of their debut, the album contains enough decent songs to offer hope for the future. One of those songs, 'Valerie', comes as a sharp relief after the opening salvo. A good-time seventies number, with a big, sing-a-long chorus, it’s the best song on the album and demonstrates McCabe’s song-writing is capable of maturing from the infectious pop littered throughout 'Who Killed The Zutons?'.

'Someone To Watch Over Me', with it’s Stonesy gospel-country feel, and the Shangri-Laesque 'Secrets', are sound exercises in style, helping rescue a Side A rounded off by the forgettable 'How Does It Feel?'. Stomp-along single ‘Why Won’t You Give You My Love?’ opens up Side B and is a definite grower. It’s also one of several songs on the album benefiting from Abi Harding’s singing, rather than saxophone playing, being pushed to the foreground.