Shed Seven They were (along with Gene, The Bluetones or Echobelly among others) one of the outstanding bands of the second line of Britpop, thanks to albums like “Change Giver” (Plydor, 94) o “A Maximum High” (Polydor, 96) with which (of course) did not reach the transcendence or impact of Suede, Oasis or Blur, but they added positively to the nineties cause, reserving a small place in the hearts of fans. An affection that, in any case, was focused on a very specific moment: the one in which his songs –at that time attractive and good looking– fit the trend like a glove.
Three decades have passed since then, and it was in 2017 when those from York decided to return to the scene with the discreet “Instant Pleasures” (BMG, 17), who already looked somewhat out of place and seemed expendable, although (perhaps based on the good memory of yesteryear) he still had a pass and had something usable. Something that does not happen with the present “A Matter Of Time” (Cooking Vinyl, 24) with which, precisely, Shed Seven They announce with great fanfare their thirtieth anniversary as a band.
An irony, considering that the album in question seems to want to renew its laurels in the fast lane, with a group trying to sound youthful and looking limited and not very credible. Twelve new songs in which the once charismatic Rick Witter and company are in the same league as groups like The Kooks, The Fratellis or Blossoms, to produce harmless, artificial indie-pop pieces with catchy pretensions, which do not manage to bother but they awaken zero emotions.
Los Shed Seven that you want to remember and, from time to time, recover to have a nostalgic feast with songs of a certain catch (the same one that now turns out to be non-existent) are without a doubt those of the nineties, thanks to songs like “Speakeasy”, “Dolphin”, “Ocean Pie”, “Getting Better”, “Going For Gold” o “Chasing Rainbows”. On the contrary, the recent return of the combo seems inconsequential and overproduced, in a failed attempt to attract attention, as well as unnecessary, after placing themselves far from the space/time vector that corresponds to them and leaving a work, at best. , anecdotal.