MY TOP FIVE ALBUMS - THE PLEASURE DOME

Here in our latest top five albums feature, is former Band Of The Day, Bristol’s The Pleasure Dome.

To follow on from their debut album “Equinox” the band are doing the rounds sharing the inner workings of their forthcoming EP “Liminal Space”. Having shared stages with the likes of The Magic Gang, DITZ, Heavy Lungs, and Legss with crowded tours across the UK and Europe, we expected their choices to be eclectic and frontman Bobby Spender didn’t disappoint.

SCARING THE HOES – JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown

So this album came out a few weeks after we recorded our first album and before I wrote any songs for this EP. I rinsed this album to death. It’s so raw and authentic. I was honestly sick of guitars after we recorded our first record and I’ve always loved hip-hop. When this album came along it was a huge deal for me. I’m not saying it’s a direct influence musically, it’s so different stylistically. But showing how music can be more raw led to songs like Sugar and Suicide on the record – this album felt like freedom. I love it. it’s huge.

Selected song – Scaring The Hoes

Space Heavy – King Krule

So unashamedly our song The Duke Parts 1 & 2 was me hoping to write something close to Flimsier from this record. Honestly, I feel like the guitar arrangement on this song is the best Archy Marshall has done. The demo for The Duke was way slower and moody, it sped up as a song after time on the road, but the foundations for the arpeggiated guitar intro were in this song. Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about Space Heavy – it’s even the reason that our EP title felt right – if King Krule can have space in the title, we can too ha. This album led me to a desire for deeper melody, extended arpeggios and freedom in lyricism. Again, this was an album which came along during the writing of our record so it was something that was a big inspiration, King Krule is probably, in my opinion, the best band to come out of the UK in the last 15-20 years. Huge respect.

Selected song – Flimsier

With The Beatles – The Beatles

Well, it might be the best pop album of all time. Certainly my favourite Beatles album and I always come back to it. Every song is so great and so simple. I’m a huge Beatles fan and this album, as much as their later stuff is exciting, is their pure pop album. It’s so rough – you can hear Ringo’s kick pedal creak on some songs, Paul laughing whilst doing his backing vocals, forgotten lyrics by John, guitar mistakes, the harmonies are sometimes off, ah it just has it all and it all adds value. It’s so human. The songs are neat, maybe it’s a bit corny and wooden in places but I love it and what do you expect, they hadn’t taken acid yet? They hadn’t even smoked a pot as my nan would say. Abbey Road is my second favourite Beatles album, but this is the one for me. Also, the photo for the album artwork was taken up the road from us in Weston-Super-Mare, which always gives me a smile when I’m down by the seaside.

Selected Song – All I’ve Got To Do

Nirvana – In Utero

A phenomenal album, from start to finish. While Nevermind is of course their most popular album, and Bleach is seen as their indie album, In Utero is for me the quintessential Nirvana record. Senseless Apprentice, I Hate Myself and I Want To Die, are probably some of my favourite songs of all time. I’m a huge fan of Nirvana and if I want to experience the emotion Kurt Cobain had to offer In Utero feels like the way to get it. Nevermind is great don’t get me wrong, but In Utero feels so much more real. The production feels true and the songwriting feels raw and honest. What an album.

Selected Song – Senseless Apprentice

Up The Bracket – The Libertines

Again, this is one of my favourite albums of all time. The Libs were my first love and formative in me becoming a songwriter. I’d always loved poetry as a kid and having started playing guitar the year before, this album taught me how they can go together. For me, it’s the blueprint for a modern British rock record. I’ll always go back to it and it still sounds as fresh now as it did when I got home from school to listen to it in my bedroom on repeat.

Selected Song – Horror Show