New Starts are obviously the perfect band for me to resume writing reviews with, so after a couple of weeks off here we go, with Hefner legend Darren Hayman's latest band New Starts that he formed with Joely Smith, Will Connor and Giles Barrett that has Darren ripping up a good few of the rules he previously used to make an album in 4 days that has a distinct flavour not too dissimilar to the golden days of Hefner.
The album opens with A New Start a jangly indie-pop song that claims Darren has a little stone in his heart, the steady beat is adorned with a searing guitar part that adds all sorts of emotion to the song.
Under The Striplights is where Darren wants to seduce you, like he's on a first date again, rather than forgetting your birthday and other normal relationship crux points, this certainly reminds me of Hefner but slightly less knowing and more mature.
Tease The Corners is one of those typical argument songs, where small details become huge issues, slowly evolving while each barb is examined, to throw light on how it's come to this. Where the often-sparse music has a fantastic guitar break or two, while Darren pleads for one more chance despite all the pettiness driving them apart.
Don't Need Persuading no he'll happily stay the night, if you'll let him, this feels like a late-night strum over a glass or two of red wine, just give him the right look and he will stay, looking at you with loving puppy dog eyes, until you kick him out the door.
What I Specifically Love is chiming guitars, an unobtrusive back beat, for confessions of the things you lust after, complete with ritual humiliations, fits of the giggles, stolen clothes worn as a badge of honour, the realisation that sounding a lot like Hefner is a very good thing indeed, does Darren want her to be his Iceberg? Maybe comparing his love to a lettuce is where it all goes wrong.
Home Becomes A Lantern a beacon in the wilderness of Darren's peripatetic life, so gather up some kindling and start that fire, slowly and cautiously played backing makes clear, this will eventually feel cosy and comfortable.
Asbestos Roof isn't about the dangers of Asbestos but rather about what they got up to on that Asbestos Roof with the punchiest song on the album, this has a far more strident beat, he tries to avoid another fight, probably afraid you'll throw him off that Asbestos Roof.
A Place To Be somewhere you can pop in and spend time with Darren and have fun together, he fills in the detail to what might happen there, how you can lose hours and days in that special place, the dialled back music has some cool flourishes to emphasize the best things, that might happen if you go there with him.
Pumpkins I assume will be the bands Halloween single, he dreams of being a Pumpkin farmer, probably entering competitions for his magnificent specimens, while we work out just why he needs to treat his Pumpkins with Kaolin & Morphine, is he necking bottles of it again.
I Think You Need To Say I Love You is an imprecation fraught with danger at certain points in any burgeoning relationship, it has sunk more than a few over the years by making the request at the wrong time, this has all the pains of a teenager hoping they have finally fallen in love for the first time. Obviously, Darren isn't that young anymore, but gets the feelings across perfectly, while at times sounding a bit like Steve Harley.
I Was Trying To Say I Miss You is obviously an admission that you've said or done something stupid to alienate someone you actually want to be closer too, yes one more dick move that went awry, how could you be so stupid, well Darren has his own loss to explain how it all went tits up, over the more insistent jangling indie, that has more than a touch of Hefner in it.
Let Me Start Again has a slow strummed guitar to allow Darren to start apologising for all the things he did in the previous song, he's seen the error of his ways and is a new man once more, he won't go into jealous rages, or lose the plot over minor indiscretions, he'll just be there for you, like the affectionate loving man he always wanted to be. He won't swipe left anymore like using dating apps helps build a long term relationship.
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