Music Review

02 December 2008 03:06 BST

The Courteeners: St Jude

Polydor Records, out now.

In a nutshell...

Intermittently inspiring introspection impaired by absence of invention

Who's it by?

The latest in a long line of potential heirs to the much lauded, terminally indefinable position of Manchester's Music Messiah's™, following in the foot steps of such sonic luminaries as Happy Mondays, the Buzzcocks and, erm, Northern Uproar.

Hailing from the Manchester suburb of Middleton, singer Liam Fray, drummer Michael Campbell, guitarist Daniel Conan Moores and bassist Mark Cuppello have known each other since they were knee high to Peter Hook.

The quartet grew from the roots of Fray's folk fumblings on the Manchester scene and, following the release of first single Cavorting in summer 2007, have quickly become a much-hyped new hope, not least because of Fray's tendency to give the likes of the Enemy and the Wombats a sound slagging in interviews.

As an example...

"Sometimes I'm bad, sometimes I'm rotten, sometimes I say things I probably should have forgotten about people or things/Do you know who I am, I'm like a Morrissey with some strings" - What Took You So Long

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

Ever since Ian Curtis ended his earthly career on the eve of Joy Division's first American tour, Manc bands from the Fall to Nine Black Alps have generally had as much success in the ol' US of A as Heather Mills does with maintaining her dignity and sanity. So that's a 'not very likely'.

What the others say

"The Courteeners may not be the newest idea on the block. But that doesn't make St Jude a total write-off. Not quite..." - Jerome Blakeney, BBC Music

"It would be harsh to judge any band by the targets The Courteeners set themselves; if they're not finishing a five-night residence at Knebworth come the end of the year, Fray will probably be disappointed. So while St Jude may not reach those lofty heights, on its own merits it's supreme." – Alex Fletcher, Digital Spy

So is it any good?

When it comes to Stephen Street, it is difficult to cast aspersions on the production work he is most well known for – the Smiths' Strangeways, Here We Come, Blur's eponymous fifth album…hell, the man even managed to coax a half coherent record out of Babyshambles.

However, it is difficult not to think that Street was the wrong choice for St Jude. A band with a tendency for jangling like the Courteeners, and a voice as slight as Fray's, needs a producer that can give both a decent set of balls.

The glossy leanings of Street leaves the driving, potentially anthemic Not Nineteen Forever sounding almost half-hearted and Bide Your Time as inconsequential.

Not that the Courteeners are free from blame. All too often they are content to remain within the constraints of the 'indie' template set in stone since Johnny Marr first picked up a guitar, while Fray's lyrics occasionally go more Milburn than Morrissey.

There is much potential to be seem amidst the charming, witty, handclap laden No You Don't, No You Didn't, while If It Wasn't For Me manages to meld galloping indignation with a pop sensibility and come out being almost danceable.

But given the pressure on the Courteeners to step into the shoes of the likes of Oasis and the Stone Roses, it remains to be seen whether they get the chance to live up to the patchy promise shown by St Jude.

5/10

Kelvin Goodson