Parlour Flames
Parlour Flames
Release Date: May 21, 2013
Genre(s): Britpop, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock
Record label: Cherry Red
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Album Review: Parlour Flames by Parlour Flames
Mediocre, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 6/10
As the work of two longtime Manchester musicians, it's no surprise Parlour Flames' eponymous 2013 album is steeped in northern lore, both lyrical and musical. Vinny Peculiar -- who has run with Luke Haines, the Smiths' rhythm section, and Bill Drummond in the past -- is responsible for the latter, while early Oasis rhythm guitarist Bonehead is responsible for the former, and the pairing is a little curious. Bonehead has wide but catholic tastes, loving the orchestration of Bacharach about as much as he loves thick cascades of guitar, which is an appealing enough backdrop for Peculiar's sung-spoken poetry, but the two approaches don't necessarily seem to mesh.
Based on rating 1/5
Parlour Flames is Bonehead’s (yes, Bonehead’s) new band, and his first outing since he left Oasis in 1999. His partner in crime is Manchester poet and musician Vinny Peculiar. Now, chances are that some will not be expecting much new ground to be broken on Bonehead’s latest project, and they’d be right. If Oasis were (sometimes harshly, sometimes fairly) accused of being lumpen Beatles copyists, then this is The Rutles for Manchester’s Britpop generation, only with noticeably less wit, charm or sophistication.
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