The Inexperienced - The Inexperienced (Pink Hedgehog Records)

I expected something quite psychedelic and alternative in this debut album from Alex Meadows, but that’s not what I got. Chin up, though, because what it actually delivers is quite special. This collaborative project pulls many musicians and a variety of vocalists together to create a psychedelia that has a funk sensibility – or should that be the other way around? From the opening upbeat soul of ‘Note To Self (So Slow)’, with its glittering, twirling groove, it’s delicious slide guitar and its full and certain recognition that no song can go wrong that has hand-claps, to the beautifully and brilliantly understated Lennon-worthy dreamscape of ‘Love Is All’, this is an album of tight and agile surprises. The best vocals here belong to Meadows himself and Pete Howarth. The former offers a cool, psychedelic soul that recalls the early ‘80s precision of Green from Scritti Politti (although he sounds like he’s auditioning for The Streets on the opening track), while the latter lets go with wonderful and excitable Scissor Sisters stylings. As enjoyable as ‘Statesman’ is, Simon Jaymes’ admittedly very rich voice threw me a little, sounding more AOR than these others. But musically this album not only jangles along, it accesses other areas of pop/rock’s canon to offer glimpses of other genres, such as Britpop, or superb almost-‘80s funk and reggae in the stand-out tracks ‘Keep On Dancing’ and ‘Stay’. With its warm mood and perfect performances from all involved, I think this is an album you’ll find yourself listening to all summer.

Elton Townend Jones