At seven tracks and just 23 and a half minutes long, the debut album from JONNY COLA & THE ‘A’-GRADES is certainly true to the latter part of its’ 6T’s-reminiscent title.
But if brevity is the operative word, at the same time Cola and the 'A'-Grades are no low-key outfit. Over the seven tunes, the drama levels threaten to go right through the roof, and refreshingly, the foursome don’t appear to take themselves all too seriously.
You might find yourself thrown by the constant references to technology, with lines that include the ‘5-bar’ mobile reception' that jumps out at you from the enigmatic opener ‘One Day All Of This Will Be Yours’, as well as a whole metaphor about a spreadsheet in the next track, the hook-laden ‘Disappearing Act’.
Whilst the tunes themselves are delay-heavy, with guitar distortion frequently counterbalancing the lightweight feel, an undeniable sub-pop appeal glows frequently from within.
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The torch song ‘Heroics’ is accordingly and completely unashamed and brimming with innocent indie sensibilities.
Elsewhere, the bad-diet dedicated inevitable doom of ‘We’re All Going To Die’ walks the tightrope between tragedy and farce, fingers crossed in the hope that the listener sees the cartoon irony in this being the penultimate offering; this whilst the actual title-track finale is merely a thinly-veiled kitsch threat with more references to furniture than a George Herbert poem.
All of which goes to make this retro-inspired maiden release one that shows promise and potential and comes courtesy of a positively endearing devil-may-care approach.
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