Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Combining the glories of Shannon Woolner*s girly vocals and Frank Sancoval's versatile guitar on top of a throbbing thrusting flexible rhythm section comprising Dave Snow's drums and Paul Dexter's drums, Mayfair Laundry let loose an alternative sound which occasionally has layers of horns in a ska fashion but more often than not nourishes under its own steam. Standouts include the horn embellished "Bucket Brigade" and "Wavy Gravy" which pound along nicely thank you very much. There are moments when this heads off into the stratosphere with the pacy "Lovely Feet" and the manic "Swing Your Partner" which could be a 1978 angry Costello track. Both feature some frantic guitar playing. On the slower front, "Wonderful Wonder" starts gently before picking up into a medium paced devotional. On "Lullaby", Woolner sounds spookily like Sheila Walsh when singing in the higher register and should be persuaded to not go there! Produced by John and Dino Elefante, this is a steady debut from an obviously talented band but without enough creative punch to stand out in the crowd and make it a classic.

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