Fun, Fun, Fun sin Sun, Sun, Sun

Label: Chemikal Underground Records
Artist: Zoey van Goey
Album: The Cage Was Unlocked All Along

Zoey van Goey is the indie pop styling of Kim Moore, Matt Brennan and Michael John McCarthy. Making waves at several Scottish music festivals last year, the joyous Glasweigan consortium concentrate their efforts on the concept of fun, which, contrary to much of recent rock, is not a deabilitating theme. In fact, this debut album could easily be described as a fun version of many a more minor-chord-happy band. True, they were described in the Scottish press as being "like The Postal Service but with a sense of humour."

Released earlier this year, but stunted by the mute of its tepid release, the boy-girl-boy trio's recording has earned a second shot, prevailing under the flag of Chemikal Underground Records. Thumbs up to the label for picking up this clever little clan. The record commences with The Best Treasure Stays Buried. Unfastened with a soft, forthcoming bounce, the opening track is a charming gradient that immediately takes on themes of entrapment, breaking free and everything in between. Not quite twee thanks to some cranky guitar backing, We Don't Have That Kind Of Bread makes good pop sense. Kim Moore's 90's female vocals straddle the push and shove of this lovably crafted tune as it fizzes along with the charm of a real grower. Soon enough, Sweethearts In Disguise sets the scene of the album with lyrics not entirely untended to by today's music world. It's no benign coincidence that Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian holds connections with the band, right out of Canada, England and Ireland (though they call Glasgow, Scotland their home these days). This third track stinks smartly of the sort of twinkle synonymous with Belle & Sebastian. It'd be Folk if there were not so much more to it than the superficial glaze of Moore's voice or the jangle of off-rock guitar. With quirky songs like We All Hid In Basements, the Noah And The Whale comparison is bound to be drawn. This sits with me as rather unfair. Zoey van Goey tempts us and continually teases with a bigger noise than that. If anything they're steered more in the direction of the likes of Devotchka than that of radio-friendly advert fodder. This is no more so apparent than with Two White Ghosts, which reaches far and beyond the realms of twee and an Indie-folk scene that is becoming notoriously redundant and lazy with each and every bearded and budding Brighton Socialist armed with a ukulele and a few lines lifted from their conveniently battered charity shop edition of Tolstoy, and is probably the best this album offers. The dual vocals pondering on an incompatible couple mismatched with the task of teaching English in Japan make for a cute subject that is verified by the slow sweep of the unburdened low-key mood of the music. Undeniably, however, this song is as slow and impish as it is cute and definite. Thankfully, and just in case you were growing sleepy, slipping into repose, Foxtrot Vandals obtrusively crashes in to remind us of the bite of Zoey van Goey. It is the most pop like of any track on the album, but clutches responsibly to the temper of the overall honeyed musical message that is The Cage Was Unlocked All Along, which is available now and complete with one of the (and yet somehow unsurprisingly) loveliest and most precious of cover artworks you'll ever have the pleasure to fondle over. This is undoubtedly the toughest track on the album; it's seemingly greedy with vigour. But that's not to say that the rest of this warm, semi-sickly record lacks lustre or the patina of songs such as Two White Ghosts and My Persecution Complex. It is just the only song that exists in an unchained state, perhaps too overtly aware of the cardigan-clad image ubiquitous in the album's quirkcore lyrics. My only real qualm with this Chemikal Underground offering is that it's savagely, savagely catchy. It's beguiling, and haunting and down right captivating where ever you look. It's a whistler; make no mistake. The worst part is, it's not just the customary (to this sort of album) one song. There's a whole bunch of infuriatingly gorgeous tingles here to plague the every thought you ever hope to call your own subsequent to listening to this album. Yep, be warned, there's a song to dog your conscience and soundtrack your every Sunday afternoon, whether they be spent in the arms of a sofa, the plains of a park or a rare sunny day in Glasgow.

Release date: 19th October 09