There is something of a major revival going on with Celtic artists. We have The Revs blowing across from Ireland, then Ballboy sweeping down from the Glens. In Wales Squeezebox release their debut album on Ffvinyl which was Welsh Record Label of the Year in 2002, and whose people will tell you that they basically got drunk for free…

Either way Ffvinyl are owners of one of the finest debut albums I’ve heard this year, in fact it’s one of the finest I have ever heard. Squeezebox grew up in the 90’s in Mountain Ash; a small valley town recovering from years of neglect; and four lifelong friends formed a band, hitched on a rock n’ roll ride of fighting and fucking, picking up new friends along the way with great live performances…

They certainly have done the ‘apprenticeship’ out on the roads, honing their skills to a fine art. This album is a collection of fine upbeat alternative rock songs, never heavy enough for Kerrang! (although neither are the Phonics and they got front cover…). But the songs here are melodic enough to set the airwaves alight. Opening tune Glass House sets the tone for the rest of the album; more fast and curious than furious, with its pace just enough to keep up with; and production allows the song to breathe while running. Its spacious feel throws all the right sounds around the room, matched with an infectious melody that’s hard to ignore. It’s a radio song waiting to explode…

We move snarling through track two Got Me A Ride with its venomous spit of ‘Get A Life Bitch’ that has you singing at the top of your voice (which didn’t go down well with the neighbours, but who fuckin’ cares, well, kinda…). Bittersweet themes run long and hard through this record; you get the feeling that you have a band that has lived a little, loved a little, lost a lot, no more evident than on track three Better This Time. It’s a second chance deal, one step up from the last chance saloon. More of the same follows in the shape of Toadstool Carousel and Bullitt Holes which while being good are not memorable, well not yet…

Track seven hits the ground running; sweeping acoustic guitars, move across the floor to meet sweet sidestep drums to create For The Record that for me is the highlight so far. It’s a primetime summertime song, that sounds great in the car very loud - makes me smile every time. Go Wake Them Up has an emotive, thoughtful laid-back charm. You could call it a ballad, but it’s not that sad; it’s just a quiet reflecting moment that has you looking around, smelling the air, feeling the breeze, remembering why you are here, or trying to figure it out. She Clipped My Wings is reflective and fleeting, like the lover you lost long ago, but is was always there, telling you who, why, where, but just as it’s too late. Where Was Yesterday screams out and you just know why…

The band after playing castles to carnivals via In The City, went down to Loco Studios(where the magic was worked for The Verve and Oasis) to work with one of the best production teams around headed by Mark Wallis (U2,Travis) and Greg Haver (Manics) to record their debut album. Tragedy struck when drummer Lee Pennington was found dead, the future was in doubt but the band decided to carry on, “It’s what Lee would have wanted, it’s his album as much as ours”, said the remaining members.

Four more tracks follow to finish, and it’s hard to highlight any one but closing the album is a song called Healed that sums up much of what this band is about. They have had their share of fun and failure, happiness and sadness, but they got here; intact, strong in mind and spirit, knowing they have a great debut album that they can be proud of; out of the blocks running. Time will tell if it’s enough, but I believe it’s just the start of something special. There are 12 tracks that will be at home with the best of them. Wales needed a band like this to move them on, to show once again that we have the talent to compete with the best in the world. It’s time to find a place for your new favourite band…

4/5

More info: www.squeezeboxonline.com / www.ffvinyl.co.uk