A brand-new album from early ’80’s British Mod revivalists, The Moment, is cause for celebration. One of the best of the “second wave” to the Mod rebirth, The Moment had a good run from their heyday of 1983 to 1990, releasing a slew of singles and one album while appearing on one of Countdown Records’ splendid compilations. Now they’re back, with a new drummer, but someone quite familiar to the Mod scene, Brett “Buddy” Ascott, the anchor for (my favorite) ’79 Mod heroes, The Chords.
The Only Truth Is Music is a spectacular return to form and then some. Tight, danceable, rockin’, melodic and a touch soulful – from the beefy horns, clipped guitar and instant classic quality of “Captain Insanity” to the driving “LOY”, a dozen tracks are there for you to savor. “She’s A Modern” has an early ’70’s kind of boogie feel with a slash-it-up guitar and great harmonies; “Penelope Wood” has a lovely acoustic guitar and minor-chord/haunting desperation to it, enhanced by the appropriately dramatic production while “You Get What You Pay For” is also acoustic-driven but a stomp. The album’s title cut, “The Only Truth Is Music” is a wonderfully lush, sweeping piece; “Lek Mich Am Arsch” (!) is as uptempo pure pop as one could want and hope and “Queen Of Battersea” is a soul-style stomper on that tight 4/4 beat.
What I find so refreshing about this album is that although it’s the return of a band that had been part of a certain scene, they’re not pigeonholed by that scene’s prerequisite sound, nor do they sound “retro”. The Moment are in the here and now. Which makes this album an even more salient moment.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The Only Truth Is Music is available now.
http://themoment3.wix.com/themoment
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