Thirty-seven years is a staggering amount of time to leave a conversation hanging. Following 1985’s ‘Quaker City’ and 1988’s ‘Eleven’, Liverpool-formed alt-rockers Innocents Abroad seemed destined to remain a beautifully preserved footnote in the annals of 1980s college rock. Yet, decades after their initial fracturing, the original songwriting partnership of Martin Malone and Peter Mills has reformed. The result of this rekindled kinship is ‘Late Spring’, a ten-track collection recorded in Berlin with producer Victor Hildebrand that completely bypasses the cynical, cash-grabbing pitfalls of the typical nostalgic reformation.
Rather than mimicking the stale stadium-pantomime of many aging peers, the band have delivered an album bursting with melodic zeal and a surprisingly youthful buoyancy. The record opens in spectacular fashion with the power-pop brilliance of ‘King of Luxembourg’. Driven by a spirited count-in and a head-rush of joyous chords, it feels like the definitive singles-chart contender the band always deserved to possess. Mills’ lead vocals mesh beautifully with new addition Jane Breen’s backing harmonies, striking a balance between wistful reflection and playground-game simplicity.
The record quickly settles into a rich, distinctive groove. On ‘Parramatta Eel’, Breen’s basslines slide effortlessly up the neck, anchoring a gorgeous web of major-to-minor shifts that capture a mood suspended between celebration and regret. Meanwhile, ‘Dandelion Clock’ offers an immersive, neo-psychedelic swirl. It builds from gentle riffs into a thumping, locomotive rhythm underpinned by a warm, caramel bassline and a juddering organ, mimicking the very acceleration of the years the band have left behind.
While comparisons to the Byrdsian jangle of R.E.M. or the caustic chime of the Paisley Underground are inevitable, ‘Late Spring’ succeeds because it feels entirely self-contained. It is an analogue treasure rescued from digital obscurity, closing dynamically with the frantic country-jangle of ‘The Door Into Summer’. Here, the energetic vocals and cascading, chandelier-shaking guitars create a potent melodic spell that brings the record to a triumphant, storm-calming halt.
To discover what these resurrected indie pioneers are up to next, be sure to track down Innocents Abroad on Bandcamp.
