Bitter Little Cider Apples - Still

by Geraint Jones

published: 10 / 10 / 2002

Label: Pink Hedgehog
Format: CD

Diverse, but variable in quality debut offering from new Dorset group, the Bitter Little Cider Apples

Review

Further evidence emerges this month of yet more musical stirrings from deepest Dorset – this time the debut by the Bitter Little Cider Apples, ‘Still’. With the Lucky Bishops, who just released their excellent ‘Grimstone’ album, based in the same area perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s a strong link between the two groups. Alan Strawbridge, primarily the Lucky Bishops bass player shows he’s got all the rhythmic bases covered by drumming with the Bitter Little Cider Apples as well as chipping in on piano, Hammond and backing vocals. His fellow members of the fortuitous clergy make guest appearances on the album as well. The Bitter Little Cider Apples are a very different band to the Lucky Bishops. Musically they’re quite hard to pigeon-hole, drawing on a number of influences, probably not all that they would confess to, from 70s pub rock, punk, New Wave, funk, prog rock and even a hint of Neil Young on ‘Want’s And Needs’ for example. Maybe the diversity, not always a good thing, just confused me though!? Lead vocalist’ Steve Huntingdon doesn’t have the most appealing voice in the world – he’s certainly a vocalist as opposed to a singer – not that’s it’s bad but it doesn’t have much in the way of range. There are traces of David Gedge and occasionally Colin Newman about it. Maybe it’s a grower? Although the songs are collectively credited to the band, I’m guessing (a risky thing to do at the best of times) that with Steve Huntingdon handling all the lead vocals, the predominantly misanthropic world-view detectable in many of the lyrics is his. I would suggest investing in a fairly powerful magnifying glass if you wish to peruse the lyrics as they’re printed in what can only be described as a micro-font). At their best, for example on the album’s first actual song, ‘Antique Happiness’ - three minutes of urgent, fizzy excitement is yours for the taking – imagine the Rezillos minus Faye Fife. On B.L.C.A. they excel too - a rippling guitar theme and zippy, almost military-style beat driving the song along relentlessly, embellished by too infrequently used backing vocals during the chorus. Elsewhere though much of the material here seems quite ordinary in comparison – mid-paced and anonymous. ‘Reality’ has a reasonably strong chorus, but overall the song seems unfinished, more an under-developed idea than a finished song. The band recapture some of the album’s earlier promise with ‘Scented Garden’ - with its frantic guitar runs, rippling bass, staccato drum patterns and swirling organ runs, it’s an example of how good the band can be. ‘Shamefaced’ an apparent eco-punk protest is good too, the trumpet a welcome instrumental addition, though sadly its only appearance. The production, like the songs is variable – perhaps the prolonged recording process – more than two years since initial recording began – hampered that to an extent. Overall ‘Still' is a bit of a curate’s egg, but perhaps The Bitter Little Cider Apples next outing will be a more palatable. Sparkling perhaps?

Track Listing:-

1 Intro
2 Antique Happiness
3 Tiger By The Tail
4 B.L.C.A.
5 Playground
6 Reality
7 Sad Lady
8 Crocodile Head
9 Park The Car
10 Wants And Needs
11 Scented Garden
12 Distemple
13 Shamefaced
14 Summer's Yet To Come