Not even Jeremy Kyle would welcome them.
Do you ever feel cheated by band names? Sometimes you can hear a band name and you build up such a vivid picture of what you expect to see and hear that when the reality comes along, it can sometimes be a major disappointment. ‘Welfare Mothers’ immediately puts you in mind of Neil Young of the Rust Never Sleeps era, with Crazy Horse in full flow and raucous time changes. It’s a little bit loose but by God, its good and as you slip this band into your cd player or mp3 device you pray that its going to be along those lines.
Like most things in life, it couldn’t be more different and you are left regretting building it up in the first place. Simply, Welfare Mothers could be one of the many bed wetting and limp indie bands trying to ride the gap between Arcade Fire records. Perhaps its really bad timing for this act but there has already been a bunch of sound-alike and uninspired releases in recent weeks and Welfare Mothers are probably the straw that broke the camels back. When you compare them to a band like the Super Furry Animals, long haul veterans who are still taking risks and innovating, this bland and lifeless selection of tracks spits in your face with its lack of invention and cunning. ‘Fear of the Blank Page’ really does say it all, sometimes its better to say nothing than to leave people dull and lifeless.
We’re just past Mothers Day and even though your mum would love virtually anything you could give to her, she really wouldn’t thank you for this offering. And neither would we, sorry Welfare Mothers but this insipid collection should see your benefits stopped.