Farrah - Cut Out and Keep (Album)
This very London sounding band, Farrah, have carved out a niche in their quirky guitar-pop tunes, with their first two albums, Moustache and Me Too. Their latest offering is another upbeat indie pop package, reminding The Dwarf, very much of that eighties English band, UK Squeeze.
The band has survived record-label bankruptcy, exploding vans, being sued by Terry’s chocolates. Then there’s the ever changing rhythm section, which has led to Australian bass player Michelle Margherita, filling the gap. Although her bass amp is taller than she is, she manages to get the job done, while layering her saccharine vocals into Farrah’s signature four-part harmony blend.
The last two years have seen the band flight-casing their gear and departing for tours of Japan, Spain and France. They recently did a show at the Cat and Fiddle, Sydney, being the last date of their current tour, played to a packed room, (their original date got bumped in favour of the guitarist from Midnight Oil), supported by their bass players original band, The Gronks and The Ancient Marinators. This was a flying visit on their way back from playing several shows around Japan.
After listening to their album, and being a child of the eighties, I am now a confirmed fan of Farrah. It’s indie pop at its very best, with songs of heartbreak, love and travel agents. This is no mindless MTV pop, its sense of humour and irony spills forth, great tunes and thoughtful lyrics frothing out of your stereo, like a bright wave of sunshine, filling the room with joy and happiness.
Remember back in the nineties, (well it was so in the UK), when that great wave of indie pop came out of the UK. Think Blur, Supergrass and Sleeper. All the tunes on this album stand out as classic pop. Sometimes their influences stand out a little too much. Anyone who owns The Squeeze album Singles will find some of these tracks strangely reminsesant.
I adore Daytime TV, reminds me of being on the dole back in London, with nothing to do but drink beer, smoke pot and wonder how bad can Daytime TV get. 'He gives an Inch', is soooo Squeeze like, but still different enough, the melody’s bouncing back and forth, like ping pong. 'It’s Different for girls', is more downbeat than the rest, but I could imagine their fan base in Japan, swaying with their lighters in the air to this.
At first listen, Farrah seem to be producing simple indie pop, but a closer listen reveals the depth of their tunes and lyrics. It is defiantly an album that would be played over and over again; have The Dwarf singing their tunes in the shower, humming them in the street. All I have to say is come back to Australia, we deserve a longer listen.
