Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Here's a band that just seem to be getting better and better. Having recorded two EPs, they've finally got it together to record a full length project. Fronted by the vocals and guitar of John O'Brien and anchored by the stylish drumming of Dean Needle and the surefire solid bass playing of new boy Dave Reason, My Spoon are gigging hard on the UK scene. So what do we get on their album debut? 11 songs that take them beyond the pop punk so fashionable a couple of years back to creating something that is melodic, a little bit punky but wears its metal influences proudly. O'Brien certainly likes to make a lot of noise with his guitar and occasionally lets loose with a bit of screamo! What I like about the album is the fact that it varies in intensity and has a few surprises along the way. In the middle of "Bigger", there's a fab vocal passage where they sing "yeah my daddy, yeah my daddy" which takes the listener completely by surprise. My fave track this week is "(In)visible Friend" which just sounds great on the radio. Any band who records a song called "Gordon Bennett" has to be applauded and what's with the crazy drum rhythm for that song? The punk version of "In The Secret" is fun if not an original idea. Production from Neil Costello gives the album a sparky energy that overshadows their previous recordings. With a relentless gig schedule, plenty of exposure at Spring Harvest and a desire to reach out to people, 'Love Stories And Lies' perfectly documents where the band are at in 2006. And they're only going to get better!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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