Sheffield indie originals Little Man Tate have reformed with their original line-up of Jon Windle, Edward ‘Maz’ Marriott, Ben Surtees and Dan Fields and return with their first studio album in over fifteen years. One of Sheffield’s breakout bands that spawned the likes of Milburn, Reverend & The Makers and Arctic Monkeys, the quartet have recently released their new album ‘Welcome to the Rest of Your Life.’ “It’s still Little Man Tate… it’s just Little Man Tate a bit more grown up!” says frontman Jon Windle.
The album opens with `Cheap Stolen Kisses` a fast paced melodic amusing reflection on what appears to be a simple misunderstanding between a couple and the consequences thereafter. There`s a further similar but sordid tale of a pretty amoral couple in `Undercover Lovers` and how they`re really made for each other.
`Down In The Gutter` is a thumping rhythmic offering where a good Samaritan appears to turn around the life physically and romantically of a soul heading nowhere previously. I don`t know why but `You Rub Me Up The Wrong Way` a tale of an unsuited couple reminded me of the humorous life reflections that The Jam were so adapt at in their early days.
`23` is a pretty mature reflection on how times change with the passage of time set to a pretty expansive almost cinematic sound with some delightful harmonies and what sounded like a string arrangement. We enjoy another introspective meditation with `Get Up, Get Out` a simple but charmingly enjoyable earworm of a track. A number made to sing along to.
`Kiss And Just Be Friends` has a kind of retro vibe about it while `Two Lives` is an indie thumper, a real foot tapper of a listen. `We Can Be The Gossip` is a modern day love song or an ode to that special someone who has remained so despite everyday life getting in the way such as kids and a mortgage. I thought `One Last Song` had a similar sentiment to that shared on the previous number but a bit more of a sober and less emotional or sentimental consideration set against a fairly dreamy more remote musical soundscape.
`You Know You`re Turning Me` is a pounding thumping number with lyrics that are spat out in an almost stream of consciousness admiring scenario. The album closes out with `Beautiful & Deadly` which seems to be the rockiest track on the album written about a sort of femme fatale.
I`d be lying if I said I was familiar with Little Man Tate`s back catalogue and `Welcome to the Rest of Your Life’ was for me my introduction to the band. I read that they became known for writing observational songs with interesting characters in them, often based on people they knew or had met. This seems to have continued here with a joyful wit shared across some wonderfully melodic tunes.
Welcome back guys although I wasn`t aware you`d been away.
Rating 8.5 /10
