Being There for us...
Oh, if only the late great John Peel could have been around today to meet Being There. Always a fan of a bit of shambling, he would have no doubt been as charmed by these C86-inspired alt-rockers as we are. Glancing back to the good old days of 80s jangling guitar over one shoulder, and their own nostalgic teen years over the other; this Manchester-made quartet are onto something rather lovely with debut album, Breaking Away. Chucking together the recent stylised contributions of daydreaming bands like Yuck with the glorious fuzzy hooks of alt greats like Dinosaur Jr. and The Lemonheads, Being There are fashioning some really tasty tunes.
Comfortable in their own sense of fidgeting awkwardness, twee vocals and sweet melodies are bolstered by grittier guitar and a rumbling lo fi edge. Tomorrow is an absolute belter, fitting for any summer drive with it's fizzing energy and sumptuous fuzz. It's a sense of warmth that shines from the very first track, Punch The Clock, which is laden with rattlingly radiant chords that feel Just Like Honey. Yes, let's just say we reckon The Jesus and Mary Chain featured in these guys' record collection at some point. It's always promising when a band has such good taste.
The theme of Breaking Away is all very coming-of-age, with the memories of wonderfully carefree teen years coming back to haunt; but in a nice way. Think 'Casper'. It's a record that reflects a state of mind plaguing so many young adults in this slightly knackered nation of ours right now. A sense of hanging around for something to happen, and living in a weird place of limbo that's neither with those memories or with a future. It's perhaps a sense of restlessness that comes through in the energy of the title track and upbeat little number 17. But irrespective of the ideological content, it's when you hear songs like The Radio that you really get what Being There are about. Writing super catchy, super shiny pop tunes that you could have a little shimmy to. What more do you need.