Gramercy Arms
Album: The Seasons Of Love
Label: Reveal Records
Tracks: 10
Website: http://gramercyarms.blogspot.co.uk/

I'm always a bit suspicious of collaboration albums. Often they mean that the artists in question have run out of ideas of their own or are suffering delusions of grandeur but after a few bars of opening song (and lead single) 'Always In Love' it's obvious that 'The Season Of Love' has been crafted thoughtfully and with genuine purpose as its 10 tracks of power pop floods the ears with happiness and fills the brain with sunshine.

More of a collective than a band the project has been masterminded by songwriter/producer Dave Derby who has put together an impressive alumnus of musicians and artists that have sold hundreds of thousands of records between them. Lloyd Cole, Joan Wasser (Joan As Policewoman), Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses) and Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices) are just some of the people brought together for the album which has been constructed over a number of years as a follow up to 2008's self-titled debut.

'Always In Love' opens the album beautifully with an ELO-esque beat and unashamedly pop vocals followed by 'Beautiful Disguise, a piano driven thing of beauty featuring Cole and Wasser on vocals. It's an album high point that calls on everything that's great about classic pop.

In some ways the album belongs to another time as (quite unfairly) the charts just don't have room for music as accessible and as well-crafted as this anymore. If this had been released in 1981 it'd have been a chart topper for sure. That's not to say it sounds dated or is an indulgent throwback of course - it's as modern sounding as you'd expect - but you do worry what sort of market the album will appeal to wholesale.

'Winterlight' gives a great response to that query with a folky (but stilly reidiculously poppy) jaunt that could brighten up the darkest of January days. Hand claps galore, never ending tambourine and an instantly brain invading refrain. 'Playing With Fire' shimmers gloriously with its wistful lyrics redolent of latter day Roddy Frame while 'The Night Is Your Only Friend' evokes the spirit of Springsteen at his blue-collar best.

I think it's fair to say that Gramercy Arms aren't going to change the world but much like The Burns Unit did in 2011 they've created a wonderful collaboration album of perfectly crafted pop songs that deserves a place in the record collection of anyone who simply likes great music.

Rob Fearnley