A breath of fresh air?
This debut album (of sorts) is either a) a slightly pointless throwback to the Britpop era or b) a passable slab of retro-rock from a man determined to honour his heroes (The Jam, The Who and The Beatles) in the only way he knows how, or c) a little bit of both.
Proceedings kick off rather sluggishly with "Got to be Someone", a rather formulaic indie rocker that regrettably sets the tone for the majority of this album. "I'm the Greatest" tips a cap to Potts' mod heroes past and present while adding a rare bit of high energy to proceedings. The Beatles are a particularly cloying influence on this album, their ghost cropping up around every corner. That's not to say the former Monaco man is guilty of plagiarism on a par with Oasis. "Richard Parker" recalls the Fab Four circa The White Album with its trippy organ and vague psychedelic touches and is a rather enjoyable romp. The summery power-pop of "Roll Up!" is similarly energising and is evidence that Potts certainly has a good ear for a melody. However "Coming Up For Air" struggles for large periods to mark itself out as anything more than a mildly enjoyable nostalgia trip.
There are occasional detours from the mod-pop template although the electro-rock of "Free Yourself" is a rather grating distraction within the context of this album. "Coming Up For Air's" main weakness stems from its over-reliance on weighty ballads. The acoustic "World Isn't Over" with its dreamy backing vocals and perplexing use of banjo is a mellow gem. "Faces" is similarly sweet although its jaunty melody is off-set by Potts' rather doleful vocal delivery. "So Low" by contrast is a dreary piano led number and "Warm and Happy Soul" with its gloopy electronic effects is less impressive and rather forgettable. "My Favourite Onion" (is this another veiled Beatles reference?) adds some oomph to proceedings, an upbeat old-school R&B stomper it recalls the Weller of "Heavy Soul" and is one of the album's truly great tracks.
Earnest but unremarkable, pleasant but not mind-blowing "Coming Up For Air" presents David Potts as a mild mannered, northern alternative to Paul Weller. It's not a spectacular record by any stretch of the imagination but it's far from the worst retro-rock record you'll hear this year.