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Welly - 'Big In The Suburbs' Album Review

Sean Friswell
Mar 20
3 min read

Tracklist:

1. Big In The Suburbs

2. Home For The Weekend

3. Knock And Run

4. Deere John

5. Soak Up The Culture

6. Shopping

7. Cul-De-Sac

8. Pampas Grass

9. The Roundabout Racehorse

10. Under Milk Wood

11. Family Photos

12. Country Cousins

13. It's Not Like This In France

14. Life Is A Motorway

Southampton based Welly are about to release their debut album, after extensive touring and some teaser singles the album is due for release on the 21st of March, to be followed by the Seaside tour which sees Welly play a number of, different from the norm, venues through March, April and May.

This is album is a real breath of fresh air, following on in the excellent tradition of the British songsmiths who have documented British life this series of songs both pays homage to the British suburbs and challenges preconceptions about them.

With hints of the Kinks, the Human League, The Jam, Billy Bragg and the Streets with a strong hint of Elvis Costello’s acerbic writing Welly have created something all of their own while very much being in the tradition of the great song writers referred to above.

These songs are very much about the lyrics, showing different depths with each listen, there is pathos, there is humour, there is a questioning of values and the there is a consistently high level of lyricism. The music is varied, and the overall feel is of music to make you jump about to while also make you think, you are going to want to sing along, this is also music you will want to interact with live.

It’s pop with a punk ethos but very much with a storytelling focus. I haven’t seen Welly live yet, something I plan to rectify after listening to this album. I can’t believe they will be anything other than highly entertaining!

'Soak Up The Culture', 'Shopping', 'Home For The Weekend', etc etc, I would pick out a favourite song, but I keep changing my mind, this is a consistently excellent album, to borrow from a well-known greatest hits album it’s all killer. no filler.

'Shopping' itself is the commentary on the consumer culture and the failure of the British high street that you didn’t release you needed but trust me, once you hear it, you will wish you had before.

As I said they are about to go on tour, personally I think you should buy this album, listen to it incessantly, then go see them live, why? Because once Welly break big, and they will, you won’t get to see them in such intimate venues, they are destined for greater things. The role of the pop commentator on British culture has been vacant for a while, wake up, there’s a new, very sharp, very funny, very engaging now kid in town and they have written a collection of songs that you’re soon going to wish you’d heard already. It’s like listening to A Grand Don’t Come For Free or The Kinks, hearing 'That’s Entertainment' or hearing 'Suburbia' for the first time, once you’ve heard it you are going to be part of it, embrace it and want there to be even more!

Welly are the real deal, that band that you will become obsessed about, that you will want to tell your friends about and, if they aren’t bright enough to get it, consider whether they should be your friends in the first place.