Supersweet

Good Shoes

Think Before You Speak

Label: Brille

 

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There used to be an advertising board at the southern terminal of London’s Northern Line that said, “Travelled Morden you wanted?” What it actually advertised escapes memory, but it seemed specifically aimed at those unfortunate enough to fall asleep on the journey home. The implication, of course, was that little reason other than loss of consciousness could explain anyone finding themselves in Morden. 

 

So not the most auspicious cultural hotbed from which to start a band then, you might suppose. But musical history is full of success stories with far less likely beginnings, as they frequently provide both a rich vein of source material and incentive to advance.  

Debut album Think Before You Speak suggests this could well prove the case for Good Shoes – which, as we all know, are made for long journeys. The delights of Morden are in fact immortalised by their eponymous third track. “It’s just not the sort of place you want to take your kids too,” sings Rhys Jones, amidst music and words that fervently call to mind The Jam and the Smiths. Fittingly it’s one of the star tracks in a solid collection that is, by turns, young and raw then surprisingly worldly wise. 

These qualities mesh well in other prize numbers such as ‘The Photos on My Wall’, from whose lyrics the album’s name derives. Mature song construction (including single chords hanging in space like the start of the Smiths ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’) is here simultaneously flavoured with self-conscious deliberations about creating an air of arrogance – something which unfortunately doesn’t seem to trouble the thoughts of many bands more developed in years. In other words the song hits enough nerves to appeal to a young crowd but, as is common to Good Shoes numbers, deals with its themes in a refreshingly intelligent and astute manner.    

The most iconic sounding songs on the album, however, are fourth and fifth tracks ‘All in My Head’ (which, incidentally, also has a great video on the band’s website) and ‘Never Meant to Hurt You’ whose opening chorus line, “Do you ever feel like you’ve broken someone’s heart – I do,” is accompanied by an indelible riff from impressive guitarist Steve Leach. More subtle, but possibly more sophisticated for that, is seventh song ‘Sophia’, which conflates ideas of youthfully blazing a trail with maudlin reflection on the passing of time (and a surpassing couplet herein – “As everybody stares at the boy on the stage / I get kicked out for looking underage”). 

In summary then a very fine first album, which more than bears up to repeated listening. Good Shoes is not the finished product yet, but that’s not so much a criticism as a given. The best shoes are also ones that you wear in – and there’s plenty of room and direction for this band to travel from here, given their obvious level of talent, awareness and ideas. - Alderson