The Molotovs – Wasted On Youth
by The Molotovs are another band of the new generation of mod revivalists in 2026 and, along with Sharp Class, are spearheading the movement, and turning heads!
The Cords – The Cords
I wonder if Eva and Grace Tedeschi, the sisters behind The Cords, thought that comparisons may be immediately drawn between their new band and a band with, almost, the same name, The Chords. Probably not. Either way it was that name that drew my attention
Sharp Class – Faith In The Brakes
Faith In The Brakes immediately blends the best of Ocean Colour Scene, Ordinary Boys and Brit Pop with earlier mod revival bands such as The Chords and Purple Hearts, with the energy non stop for the entire 3 minutes. Chord progression and vocals are perfect – for music to be successful in a youth movement it needs to have identity, and this has it in bucketloads.
Roxy Music – Manifesto
The album has elements of all the best of early Roxy Music, but never quite captures the same brilliance. Manifesto starts well, the intro is appealing, but it quickly fails to live up to the promise. A fairly tame, middle-of-the-roader really. Not the phrase you would normally associate with 1970s Bryan Ferry. Listening through again I can’t emphasise enough how much Trash sounds like the Mod Revival records of this era.
Manic Street Preachers – The Ultra Vivid Lament
The first thing to mention is this was written after Nicky Wire lost both of his parents just before the pandemic, and continuing into lockdown the album, or at least its lyrics, reflects sadness, insecurities and loneliness. The loneliness of being an orphan is real even well into middle age. Been there myself. But more than that it makes you reflect on and see the world altogether differently, probably due to the heightened sense of your own mortality.
Wishbone Ash – Front Page News
Released in 1977, Front Page News definitely rates as early Wishbone, but even so this is what they call the Mk 2 lineup and there seems to be a consensus they were passed their best by then. I hadn’t realised they had been so prolific latterly either, with regular releases well into the 2010s.
Echo And The Bunnymen – Heaven Up Here
Heaven Up Here was released on Korova in 1981 and was, by all measures, a success – a top 10 album in the UK, an entry in the US Billboard album charts, and it spawned two singles, A Promise and Over The Wall.
Dollar Brand Trio – Anatomy Of A South African Village
Just a shade under 15 minutes, Anatomy starts off with a single piano playing traditional jazz style over the thrumb of mingling voices in the audience. You can almost smell the cigarette smoke.
Michael Nyman – The Kiss and Other Movements
Imagine a Peter Greenaway movie, personified, going into Pete Townshend’s Lifehouse. The result would be the biorhythm and undulating classical melody of Michael Nyman.
Attacco Decente – The Baby Within Us Marches On
All or Nothing! Records, 1988 A difficult to describe band and quite obscure it seems, Attacco Decente were around from 1984 to 1996, a long …