Retro Pop-Rock
Baywatch themed student nights and dodgy haircuts have taught most of us to approach anything advertised as 'retro' with more than a little caution, therefore the latest single from 'retro-flavoured' act The Bishops may as well be packaged along with speedos and a mullet inside its plastic casing.
'If You Leave Today' is a brief, jolly, yet emotionally devoid power-pop journey back to the swinging 60's from London based 'twins-plus-one trio' in order to promote their upcoming album, 'For Now'. The punk crunch of the sub-Beatles rhythm section steers the band through the song in an energetic manner, with tight yet formulaic instrumentation providing a colourless backdrop for Mike Bishop's blokey baritone. His vocals float over the recycled hooks, crooning unimaginative lines, “Can't you see me with my head in my hands?” yet eventually the whole song sinks into a proverbial ocean of kitsch superfluity. While the barbershop-esque vocal support of Mike's twin brother Pete would have been coyly affecting back in the 60's, nowadays we have Fleet Foxes to satisfy our harmonic desires, so unless you have a four-piece harmony section that makes CSNY sound like NWA, you really needn't bother.
B-side 'By Your Side' continues the familiar formula, punctuating a stolen Shadows riff with dated handclaps and derivative lyrical ploys, all the while coming over as if they are pitching to soundtrack a pilot episode of Heartbeat. The Bishops' saving grace is their edit function; as both songs clock in at little more than 2 minutes a piece, it's hard to get bored with them, but also hard to really consider them as anything more than pedestrian chaff to The Beatles' wheat.
According to their press release, The Bishops are, “huge in Germany”. So is David Hassellhoff. Enough said.