Electric Soft Parade - 'No Need To Be Downhearted' (Truck) Released 26/04/07

Three years on from their last outing, the Electric Soft Parade are back with the ominously titled 'No Need To Be Downhearted'. And what’s changed? Well, not a lot actually – much of what set the White brothers’ band apart in the fallout from Britpop is still very much intact. The fuzzy Ash-style guitars are still here, as are the Super Furries-esque penchant for all things synthetic, the Teenage Fanclub melodic ease and the impatient song structures. No need to be downhearted then.

That said, the multiplicity of 2003’s 'The American Adventure' was seen by many as the album’s downfall, with the restless momentum of the first half fizzling out during the more ponderous second. This time around, the same exploratory spirit shines through, but it’s a far more disciplined unit we hear.

In terms of classic ESP moments, new single 'If That’s The Case, Then I Don’t Know' and 'Misunderstanding' contain the key power pop ingredients, even with the latter digressing into a Pink Floyd-like section. The sunny 'Appropriate Ending', recorded in 2005, also displays some of the band’s poppier traits, while the jaunty piano of 'Cold World' is its equal in terms of 7” potential.
 
But Tom and Alex don’t like to let an idea outstay its welcome – and so, we get songs in fragments ('Starry Night #1'), songs in parts ('No Need To Be Downhearted Part 1' and 'Part 2') and songs that seem to be made out of three songs or more ('Life in the Backseat', 'Come Back Inside'). It makes for a less than immediate listen, but rewards are definitely there after repeated listens.
 
'No Need To Be Downhearted' is an often melancholy yet always comforting record and a timely reminder that, in these download-and-delete days, there are bands deserving of our love for the long-term. Electric Soft Parade needed to hit hard with their third album after such a long time on the sidelines. Now, they’re right back in the picture.