With the mainstream reviews proclaiming that Blondie are back I can't be the only one left scratching my head.
Are they?
Where did they go?
I never noticed them leaving the room to be honest.
They hadn't split up, and three albums in the last six years isn't too shabby.
So maybe the comeback is referring to a return to form.
Which would be strange as Ghosts of Download and Panic of Girls were solid outings for the band.
Two albums that effortlessly added to their legendary status rather than detracted from it.
Maybe the reviewers for the national press missed them.
Their loss I suppose.
Possibly with Pollinator ringing in their ears they will take a moment to revisit them and swoon.
Regardless of this strange approach to their latest release they are correct in joining in with the singing of its praises.
While some bands of a certain vintage struggle to keep it fresh, or even maintain some relevance in the modern world, it's not a criticism that could be laid at the bands feet.
Disco? Pop? Punk? Electro?
Who knows, and who cares?
Whatever you want to throw at the band they will knock it clean out of the park.
Genre tags are worn and discarded as and when it suits.
There has also been a great deal of attention focused on the guest artists that have been roped in to contribute to Pollinator, but as they were all influenced by Blondie the outcome certainly isn't dragging the band out of the driving seat.
Instead they are simply adding some flavour to a dish that was always going to taste fine without them.
That's not to downplay the collaborations, but more so giving kudos to the source material which is Blondie through and through.
All things considered Pollinator will tick all the boxes for fans old and new, but I didn't expect anything less.
Surprising that anyone did.
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It's been a journey and a half for Itch of The King Blues.
The original line up that delivered so much crashed and burned when their flirtation with a major label heralded in a revolving door policy on band members.
A policy that quite possibly contributed to a lack of focus that then resulted in patchy returns for fans.
Thankfully, it would appear that things have settled in that respect, and with a recent jaunt around the country reinforcing the view that the band are an outstanding jaw dropping live act, it is now down to The Gospel Truth to deliver the counter blow.
One that they will hope will leave the competitors on the canvas.
Does it pack a punch though?
The answer is more complicated than a simple yes.
The pop overtones of the songs initially distract, and give the impression of softness, but there is something solid lurking behind the mass appeal sing a long anthems.
Who would have thought that pop protest was a thing, but apparently it is.
As the band cling on to their anti establishment roots, while gravitating towards a sound reminiscent of the golden era of punk pop, a better analogy would be to say that they are currently treading a tightrope that hangs above staying true to the past while opening the door to new fans.
So apparently it's a balancing act that they are working on rather than a fight, and it looks as if they just might get to the other side without a misstep.
And with that approach you have to say fair play and jump on for the ride again.
It certainly sounds like a rebirth.
Well played, well played indeed.
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