The Pop Corporation

Many bands aim for Pet Sounds when they’re trying to make ambitious pop, but a lot of groups miss out on the pure, inventive, playful joy when they’re channelling Brian Wilson, Curt Boettcher & Co. There’s a shed pop, ramshackle feeling to when these things work best, like someone’s tripped over a box of classroom percussion instruments and decided to use them all, slide whistle and all.

Amongst all the toytown gorgeousness, you have to marry it with lush baroque pop, melancholia and a big love of a sugary melody. Be it the sound of a mad genius, outsider art, or someone willing to disappear into their spare room and not emerge until a sprawling, fun body of work emerges, it needs a lot of heart as well as mucking around.

And so, to a new album from Pat’s Soundhouse, ‘Silly Demon’, which is a brand new and brilliant album that is bursting with recreational play, super fun times, wells of ennui, pure pop and pocket gems.

Hailing from Glasgow, the Bandcamp bio reads little more than “a silly, goofy composer” and seeing as we’re always in the market for some of that good stuff, this body of tracks was always going to be warmly received by us. In a market that is still a little too swamped by people being overly earnest and taking the BPM right down to X Factor winning single levels, it’s always so nice to settle in with an album that’s sounding a bit like the wheels are falling off.

From the sensational opening song ‘Mushroom and Trees’, you get that comforting cuddle of ’60s West Pop harmony pop, but it there’s also a small whiff of Elliot Smith’s scratchy DIY recordings, and maybe a little bit of Daniel Johnston, which give the whole thing the feeling of cascading around you, like soft toys tumbling down the stairs, while a steam whistle pips between swirling Farfisa.

‘Look Up To The World’ ups the bedroom melancholy and will leave you lying flat on your back and breathless, while ‘Withheld Passion’ is just about the most gorgeous song you’ve ever heard, all swooning and aching harmonies and drones. In more perfect psych-pop moments, you have the bouncing ‘Lost My Way’ and the glimmering loveliness of ‘Every House Needs A Piano’ – there really is an abundance of melody and ideas on this album, which of course, lends itself to restarting tracks as soon as they’ve finished because you need another go on the merry-go-round.

And where it gets really fun and different from the pack, is the gonzo instrumentals. In ‘The Thingamabob Convention’, it’s all springs and whistles sounding like a Heath Robinson contraption slowly falling to bits. There’s the charming, hymnlike ‘Adrian’s Cabin’ and the noirish joy of ‘Funky Wunky Dreams’ which turns into the cutest nightmare you’ve ever heard.

It’s a cohesive piece from start-to-finish too – as a whole, the album stays in theme, but never too samey. There’s fragments of this-and-that, skipping through a deliberately woozy production, and when one instrumental section evaporates, it allows for the sweetest of hooks to ring out, or a fizzy layered harmony. It’s really glorious, it really is.

While many fans of ’60s music lean toward fuzz pedal pastiche, there’s something out of this world about this LP that really makes it feel like it understands the spirit of the times, while not being too peace signs and paisley about the whole thing. It’s a rich body of work and, just like the times way back when the lunatics ran the asylum, ‘Silly Demon’ isn’t bogged down with having to tick boxes by some bozo in shoes who is looking at breaking markets X, Y and Z.

It’s music made for it’s own pleasure, and that bursts from the speakers and invites you in to play along too. Pat’s Soundhouse has a magical little album, and you’d be a fool to not tagalong for the ride. Although, leave any cynicism and long-faces at the door, because if you’re joining in, special things await.

Do not miss out on this. You new favourite is here.