The North’s favourite parody folk return with their seventh and, reportedly, final album. ‘Crust For Life’, with its spot-on Iggy Pop-styled cover, is thirty-seven minutes of observational comedy from everything from baking to Pound Land, liquid lunches to putting a tissue through the wash. Which is not something you can say about every album. Plus, with the collector’s edition, you get a t-shirt, badge, signed image, a bonus disc, live downloads and a tea towel. Yes, a tea towel. Result.
Free from the concept album-nature of their 2012 album ‘A Hard Day’s Pint’ the Hotpots have much more opportunity to stretch themselves and give themselves a wider field of parody like from their earlier albums. They also cover a wide range of genre homages, most of which are captured perfectly, from the gospel opening to the boyband-esque closer.
Their strongest album sound and production wise – this is the most varied and professional sounding release from the group yet – ‘Crust For Life’ is a return to form for the group, though arguably their quality hasn’t really dipped much, though the last two albums didn’t quite capture the brilliance of their 2010 album ‘Criminal Record’.
Bouncy opener ‘The Wigan Church of Pies’ continues the band’s ability to create a stonking album opener, following ‘Mek Us A Brew’ and ‘Let’s Get Leathered’. Musically excellent, with a great live sound – and it is brilliant actually live as proven in Manchester last night – this is a perky, gospel-infused opening. This definitely has the feeling of a regular on a best-of-Hotpots playlist.
‘Purple Zone’ is a fun, summer song with lyrics that capture the scenario perfectly, and like their best hits gets its humour from things a lot of us have faced. With a cracking, catchy breakdown at the end that quickly sticks in your head, the performances and instrumentation really capture the mood.
Track three and lead single ‘The Baking Song’ is perhaps a little cruder than we’re used to from the Hotpots – taking themes established in songs like ‘Me PSP’ but cranking them up a fair bit until they’re a little bit too crude for their image – but it’s madly catchy with an adaptation of a traditional arrangement. In fact, the main problem is that you’ll find yourself singing the chorus and forgetting its inappropriateness out of context.
‘It Were A Brilliant Night’ is a jaunty number with some nod backs to other tracks from their back catalogue, at some points treading on familiar ground a little too much. Musically, though, is one of their most accomplished ballads yet but it’s one of the weaker tracks on the album, though the shorter ‘Liquid Lunch’ which follows boasts funnier lyrics and rhyming.
Running up to the half-way point, ‘The Technical Support Song’ is recycled from 2011’s single. This traditional adaptation is another singable entry on the album, though it does drag on a little and doesn’t add much to the original and they’ve had better computer-based parodies.
Bob Wriggles takes on lead-vocals for the next song ‘I’m Going To Poundland’ on another catchy driving tune, chugging along well and quickly singable. With its strong Western theme and backing vocals blended nicely in, this is one of the strongest tracks on the LP. ‘We Love The North’, which follows, boasts a bouncy anthemic chorus but is just a middling track on the piece. But ‘My Wife Is An Ann Summers Rep’, which comes in at track nine, is the sister song to ‘The Baking Song’ and is an uptempo, catchy and witty song with some cracking one-liners. This is another track destined to be part of their best hits.
Accordion-led ‘Wowzers Me Trousers’ sees lead singer Bernard Thresher doing some great yodelling around some more well-observed lyrics. The disappointment in the lack of mention of ‘Chums’ aside, this is a great song and follows into another well-produced Bob Dylan-esque song with some great mouth organ work with more observational humour captured within its four minutes.
‘Crust For Life’ comes to a close with the sound of a charity-record shout out crossed with a boyband ballad, headed up initially by keyboardist Billy McCartney. A brilliantly-pitched sound for a closer, the style is captured perfectly and McCartney just about holds the opening. Soon supported by Bernard Thresher the balance of vocals lifts it up. Just about holding your interest for the five-and-a-half minute running time, this rounds off the album nicely.
‘Crust For Live’ is certainly a strong album to come back with, with a collection of big hitters and some smaller numbers. More varied in subject matter and styles than we’ve had recently, it feels like we’ve gone back to the style of the band’s earlier albums whilst simultaneously having a stronger production sound. At times they feel like they’re covering old ground but this is minor compared to the quality of their lyrics. If this is truly the last album from the Lancashire Hotpots – which would be a real shame – they’ve at least gone out on a high.
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