The Spitfires – A Thousand Times review: brazen jauntiness nods to Paul Weller

Watford four-piece’s second album combines brawny vocals and mod-infused indie-rock

A Thousand Times
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Artist: The Spitfires
Genre: Rock
Label: Catch 22 Records

There is no getting away from the fact that The Spitfires are a band in thrall to Paul Weller.

From frontman Billy Sullivan’s brawny vocals to their brand of mod-infused indie-rock, the Watford four-piece’s second album flagrantly pilfers from The Jam, The Style Council and Weller’s solo fare, with snatches of The Libertines and The Ordinary Boys thrown in, too.

As bland a proposition as that may sound, these well-written, full-sounding tracks give tedium the slip, from the brisk ska inflections of I Don't Even Know Myself to the raucous rock 'n' roll chorus of The Suburbs.

The smattering of strummed numbers stumble into “dreary” territory, but the brazen jauntiness of this collection just about allows for such transgressions.

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Thespitfires.org

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy is a freelance journalist and broadcaster. She writes about music and the arts for The Irish Times