(A&M UK)
The third single from the Bluetones proves that their magnificent synthesis of British pop on "Are You Blue Or Are You Blind?" and "Bluetonic" was no fluke.
The voice of the Bluetones adds to the theory that the singers in Oasis, the Charlatans (UK), and the Stone Roses are all the same person; in fact, he seems to have been holding out his best material for his latest project, the Bluetones.
Musically the Bluetones throw out big melodies like Oasis, but without the ponderous wall of sound that forms the trademark sound of Oasis (and hides the melodic failings of other Oasis imitators like Northern Uproar). The lightness of touch on all three Bluetones singles allows the instruments to reach the listener's ears intact, so that the lush acoustic and electric guitars are distinguishable from the easy-rolling bass, and the perfect 60s vocal harmonies aren't lost in a swath of distorted guitar (see Ride).
This distinctive sound is successful only because the songs are so well constructed. "Slight Return" is brief and sweet. There is a 60s inflection to the music, perhaps taking pointers from the shimmering early pop of the Hollies and the light-hearted hits of Herman's Hermits, but the affinity is never displayed in the heavy-handed manner of the La's or, more recently, the Weekenders.
Assuming that the evolution of the Stone Roses left a vacuum in the hearts of many music enthusiasts, the Bluetones could truly be the second coming. Their control is unassailable; like the Stone Roses (circa 1989), their synthesis of material roots them in historical tradition while making each single sound original and vital.
