Saving Aimee

We're The Good Guys

Written by: TL on 29/11/2009 13:44:53

Thank you God, for providing me with ammunition to prove my points. I say so because I know that you might often get the impression that I carry an unjustified hatred for bands who bring synth into their scene music. Not true, and here's a band that proves that I can in fact be won over by cheesy keyboard melodies, as long as the rest of the music has an identity that you can actually remember. This goes for UK upstarts Saving Aimee and their debut LP "We're The Good Guys", but before I tell you about it, heed my warning: This stuff is catchier than the plague and harder to get rid of than cancer, so before you press that player, know that I have warned you!

At first listen, Saving Aimee will rightly seem like just another drop in the sea of the British pop-punk underground, but it very quickly becomes apparent that these boys are bringing an eighties infatuation to boot, and an unashamed knack for penning pop-rock of the kind that gets you in a good mood immediately on first listen. For instance, how many other bands do you know who are cheeky enough to kick of their debut with an intro that bellows "WHEN I SAY SAVING, YOU SAY AIMEE" and is answered by gang vocals "saving? AIMEE! saving? AIMEE!".

That's how proceedings are kicked off, and with "Honesty Is The Policy", SA launch into the first of many catchy-as-fuck tracks to come, establishing for the listener their signature sound: All the good memories of eighties pop-rock, fused into a semi-modern setting that results in a sound that's halfway between The Academy Is and The Ark - Hell, the band's lead singer even sounds like a cloned hybrid of those two band's singers, with the added British accent of course. The thing is that, where those two bands have shown to be only momentarily capable of penning super sticky hit songs, Saving Aimee prove here that they can do so consistently. On the first half of the disc, "We're The Good Guys" and "Fresh Since 88" lead the charge, and later on it's "High 5s", "VIP" and "Small Talk" that keep the party going, and all together, there are more vocal curiosities, sing along able phrases and woah-oh parts than you can shake a synth at. Especially impressive are "High 5s", with its choral introduction, and "VIP", sporting The Darkness-ish cheeky falsetto notes in the verse, and a chorus so stick-to-your-mind-like-super-glue-ish that it's almost annoying, because you just can't help but sing along to it, even if it feels like the musical equivalent to candyfloss.

That's all good and well, but you might notice, as you give this record a spin based on my recommendation, that despite its catchiness, it isn't that original - in fact, it might be a bit too unashamedly pop to your liking. To that I can only say, give it three, maybe four spins - you don't even have to pay close attention - and then see what happens. Personally, the songs on offer have been playing non stop in my mind, even when I was listening to other music, and that I'll tell you is a rare proof of how irresistable a bunch of songs can be. So yeah, if you're in the business for a record that's flat out fun to listen to, and especially if you harbor a minor eighties obsession, then "We're The Good Guys" is an absolute bundle of joy, just waiting for you to like it - even if it is far from the hardest rockin' of records.

8

Download: We're The Good Guys, High 5s, VIP, Small Talk
For The Fans Of: The Academy Is, The Ark, Alphabeat, You Me At Six, The Galvatrons
Listen: myspace.com/savingaimee

Release Date 26.10.2009
Hey You Records

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