“Now I don't hear as good as I used to, and I forget stuff. And I ain't as pretty as I used to be. But god damn it, I'm still standing here”
The Slough outfit are back with their first studio album, ‘The Panglossian Momentum’, for twenty-eight years. After a litany of sold-out gigs and, two critically acclaimed EP’s, can they continue their fine run of form?
In the pantheon of indie bands, they stand strong with the likes of The Orchids and The Claim for having bad timing. Quintessentially English, they found their niche between the Grebo bands and psychedelia just as shoegaze and grunge rose to prominence and thus, were unfairly overlooked.
If there was to be a criticism of their debut, ‘Hands On’, at times it didn’t take its foot off the gas. Easy to say with hindsight, however, in the throes of youth, adrenaline was and should be king.
Older and wiser, gentler moments have infiltrated their sound, and they’ve hugely benefitted from them. Opener ‘Cresta – Sea Change’ combines the mystical acoustic moments of Zeppelin and the wistful grey skies of British Sea Power. ‘Spandrels’ also leans on BSP’s ability to sound offshore. The real beauty of this track is, its ability so sound off-kilter and lost at sea but, never without the hope of a new horizon to aim for, is the political hope many of us have craved.
Unsurprisingly, this level of hope continues on ‘A Thousand Yards - The Panglossian Momentum’. This is eight and a half minutes of eyes closed, shutting out the world and, holding optimism firmly in the heart. Not for the first time on this album, they showcase a sense of Noel Gallagher’s soaring immortality. Giles Duffy and Kevin Moxon’s guitars and Stephen Barnes' vocals combine in a true moment of glory.
‘Precious Pressures’ follows suit with a nod to The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley’. The heaven-sent beauty of Ride’s ‘Vapour Trail’ combine with the night that, Gallagher dropped the bravado and bared his soul at the Royal Albert Hall. TYS have musically personified the regret, defiance and death-defying beauty of Randy “The Ram” Robinson.
When they do put the pedal to the floor, the impact is far more powerful. Lead single ‘It Sparks’, opens with the orchestral pomp and pomposity of the proms but, quickly melts away into the House of Love via The Cult. It's a glorious pop music moment. 26 Seconds of vile Tory austerity disintegrates into menacing rock music.
Ever since their comeback, they have been treading pastures new. However, on ‘Sleepsound’, they step right back into the playful mood of 1993’s ‘Version of Me’. Sumptuous psyche-pop riffs that have free-spirited aggression that cannot be denied.
Thousand Yard Stare’s return in 2016 and, to date, is one of Britain’s great underdog stories. A message of never give up and being true to yourself can and will pay off. It’s fair to say they are not in fine form because class is permanent.