As if from nowhere, THE GREAT NORTHWESTERN HOBOES' debut single "Between Catherine & Hope" gently grabbed your reviewer by the lapels and proclaimed its' greatness earlier this year. It had that typically irrepressible, nonchalent Scouse-pop sorcery thing that in the past the likes of Lee Mavers and Mick Head have wrung from the simplest of acoustic-based tunes and swung by in a lovely summery breeze.
Now, with winter approaching, they've casually done it again. Follow-up single "Change Your Tune" is a tad more downbeat than its' predecessor, but it's still acoustic-based folk-pop of the highest order, with the band subtly complementing Marc Hannon's plaintive vocals and Robbie Taylor's inspired banjo plucking gently ghosting its' way to star billing.
As with the debut, staying around for the B-sides is the sensible option, too. The first is "Keep The Light On": it's a gentle and rueful thing, with a distinct Alt.Country lilt, sorta like La's meets Uncle Tupelo. It's pretty, vulnerable, unadorned and entirely lovely.
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Then they conclude with "Fogtrotter", which is arguably even better. This time, Marc's lost and lonely on a fogbound night with Robbie Taylor in support and switching adroitly to violin. It's a little more mysterious and edgy and, but again demonstrates the Hoboes are comfortable in a number of settings and not a band who will be deflected from cutting to the emotional chase. Bloody good, in simple terms.
A second cracking single then. I know it's important not to rush these things, but I'm truly stoked by the thought of an album from The Great Northwestern Hoboes. I've a feeling in my bones about impending greatness for this lot.
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