a big, red and white stripey deckchair of an album
www.myspace.com/theburnsunit
The British summer. Some say it doesn’t exist. Others simply refuse to believe in its existence, but for those of us who’ve spent time swimming in the North Sea at South Shields or avoiding the donkey turds on Blackpool strand then you’ll probably have fond memories of bygone British summers. Tupperware containers, picnic blankets and sandwiches with real sand in them. Not to forget the smell of fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper and dripping with malt vinegar. Yes, the British Summer may well be a bit watery for most tastes, but there’s nothing like a stripey deckchair and a windbreaker to remind you of your childhood and The Burns Unit’s Rock Bottom is a big, red and white stripey deckchair of an album. It’s so far out of its time that I kind of hope to see them playing a tour of the Uk’s seaside piers as opposed to sticky floored bars and city venues.
Rock Bottom is a quirky little delight of an album. As cool and refreshing as a 99 with a flake on it, it is effortlessly entertaining and oh so very, very British. Fans of Belle and Sebastian should definitely be interested in checking these guys out, because The Burns Unit invest the same kind of laid back indie pop sensibilities into their music, if a little less of the art school pretentiousness. It’s hardly an earth shattering album, but that doesn’t matter. It’s as pleasant as a cup of tea and a couple of ginger biscuits and it’s a much better waste of your time than watching the cricket.
All hail the British Summer and God save The Burns Unit.
Words: Damian Leslie