What is it with Scouse bands and songs about either seafaring or time travel? I imagine it's in the blood, the air or the drugs, but THE BANDITS are another cool new band from the lineage that's already brought us The La's, Shack and The Coral.
And, like Shack's "Time Machine" or The Coral's er, "Time Travel", or The La's "Liberty Ship", "Once Upon A Time" is a song that appears to take in both travelling back through time and an old salt's tale. Not surprisingly, it's also got a typically cheeky chappie charm with buskabilly acoustic guitar, spooky fairground organ and the sort of rattling pop suss that's entirely synonymous with Liverpool. It's predictable, I guess, but also predictably good.
Second tune here, "On My Way" is a degree or two heavier, with an urgent, swashbuckling feel, much keener, tremelo-driven guitar and neat call and response vocals. John (Bandit) Robinson's lead vox are nicely commanding, too, though it must be said he does strongly resemble a more animated Lee Mavers. Sorry, but it's true.
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THE BANDITS are peddling both smart and slightly fractured psych-pop of the peculiarly inimitable Scouse variety, which - when allied with their daft Gringo sleeve imagery - suggests they'll forge a strong identity. They're hardly revolutionary, but damn infectious all the same.
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