Despite its' well-documented brushes with serious worldwide pop success, Liverpool has also been responsible for more shoulda-beens than most of us can shake a very large bag of sticks at. And Howie Payne should know: after all - from Magic Clock through to The Big Kids - he's seemingly been condemned to accept the role of bridesmaid so often, he must have wondered is his career would end up on the shelf forever.
But with typical Scouse optimism, he's launched himself again with THE STANDS, and - finally - his determination to force himself through pop's back door is finding the wood beginning to creak.
Not that "When The Night Falls" is exactly earth-shattering in itself. Like its' parent album "Horse Fabulous", it straddles great guitar pop and gauche retro pastiche, with the obvious Scouse reference points (The La's, '65-era Beatles) and a cople of less obvious ones (lost '60s Merseybeat heroes The Kirkbys) springing to mind. Crucially, though, it's long on inspiration, makes like the epitome of jaunty and catchy and - at least when delivered in individual 3-minute blasts such as this - sounds just right.
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So, against all the odds, maybe - just maybe - this time Howie might just catch that elusive bouquet at last. Here's hoping.
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