This record is a one hour double album with five songs on each of the 4 sides being dedicated to a season of the year to represent the recurring cycle of life.
It begins in Summer and ends with the coming of Spring and the butterfly activity which gives the album its psychedelic title.
The eclectic flavour of the record can be gleaned from the fact that, alongside their own releases, ‘The Wave Pictures’ have previously collaborated with maverick, outsider artists like Darren Hayman (formerly of Hefner), Herman Dune, Daniel Johnston, Jeffrey Lewis and The Mountain Goats.
Band leader and guitarist David Tattersall’s nasal vocals are vulnerable yet strident, like a cross between Edwyn Collins and early Julian Cope. His lyrics combine quirky details from real life with moments we wish we could live.
Of the album, he says “The seasonal/annual track-listing relates specifically to the year we lost from our lives due to COVID. As is often the case in The Wave Pictures’ songs, a small moment in time gets drawn out over three minutes. This is because in memory a fleeting moment, a millisecond, can sometimes be stronger and more important than a whole year.”
The album is imagined as a collection of twenty smash hit singles influenced by, among others, Nick Drake, 60s era British bands, REM, Lou Reed and Neil Young.
The title track is lyrically and musically inspired by Syd Barrett and William Blake. Jennifer , sung by drummer, Jonny ’Huddersfield’ Helm, takes its cues from Zimbabwean groups such as The Four Brothers and The Bhundu Boys.
Despite the varied range of moods and styles, the internal logic and well-defined structure of the album means that it all holds together well and flows evenly.
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The album opens with two songs that contrast getting back to nature with the excitement of urban living: River of Gold is an acoustic driving song imagining the pleasures of being stoned by a river and playing music whereas Back In the City puts such pastoral bliss in the background with dualling guitar harmonies in the style of Thin Lizzy.
Seasonal differences are also emphasised. Never Better imagines a holiday in Greece, drinking Retsina on the beach while watching the sunset. This is dryly described as “possibly the best summer holiday song since Cliff Richard and The Shadows.” and stands in marked contrast to I’d Rather Be Doing Anything which is billed as “a power ballad in the snow.”
A running thread of nostalgia can be detected and comes to the fore in Walking to Wymeswold. In this song Tattersall recalls the man I used to be” and the energy he once took for granted: “I’m gonna dance ‘til my legs ache and fill my boots with wine.”
In this year in song, there’s a bit of everything including highs, lows, sunshine, snow, love, lust and games of French Cricket. The energy and variety ensures that a spirit of optimism underpins the songs.
This is a joyful album that celebrates the past and imagines a brighter future.
The Wave Pictures’ website
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