I guess it’s not a surprise that after the Mutton Birds (Dominion Road, Anchor Me, etc.) all the members went on to further greatness: David Long to scoring movies and the Labcoats, Ross Burge to play drums for virtually all of New Zealand’s musical royalty, and Don McGlashen to solo notoriety. 

Alan Gregg, who played bass, wrote songs and sang in the Mutton Birds, moved to London and formed his own bands and worked as producer. The latest of these, Polite Company, releases its debut album Please Go Wild this month.

This is an album of catchy adult pop with a melancholic touch throughout its twelve jingly jangly meditations on the modern life of grownups. These are under no disguise or composed with any element of obscurity — they’re straight up commentaries, autofictions and urban tales on modern life stuff: recovering from depression (Circulation), social awkwardness (Tell Me When It’s Time), appearances of infidelity in the media (Perfectly Good Explanation), local op shops (Second Chance Charity Store) and the rich bastards we all love to hate (New Yacht).  Each song bounces along with upbeat rhythms, oh-so-tastefully clean guitars, electric pianos, zithers, glockenspiels, a spattering of horns and backing singers. There’s not a word to miss to mumbling or yelling in Alan’s singing, which remains perfectly clear and pleasant throughout.

It’s all very, well …. as the name suggests, politely done.

As pop for grownups goes, it’s cleaner and more straightforward than, say Josh Rouse’s Nashville (surely one of best pop albums for adults since ages ago). But after two or three listens I found the overtly accessible topics and instantly gratifying melodies left me wanting. In fact the instrumentation and delivery reminded me, in parts, of the wide-eyed articulation of music designed for children. The Beatles did it so why shouldn’t anyone else? In Gregg’s case, on closer inspection, it makes sense. One of his prior London bands, Marshmallow, was a bubblegum pop band that released four albums of music for young listeners in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Those listeners are now turning 40 and experiencing the stuff Gregg is singing about here. Is the light hearted delivery a deliberate follow-on to that, or more an inescapable element of Gregg’s approach to his music? It’s not too clear. But what we have here is an album that no doubt will appeal to some of those listeners to Marshmallow in the 90's, and otherwise a perfectly pleasant and upbeat set of tales about modern life.

• 1
  Head Like A Hole
• 2
  Horror Story
• 3
  Fraser Ross
• 4
  Fur Patrol
• 5
  Michelle Rounds
• 6
  L.A.B.
• 7
  Devilskin
• 8
  Coridian
• 9
  The Boondocks
• 10
  Late to Chelsea

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  Dream Chambers @ Meow Nui, Wellington - 14/12/2024
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  The Phoenix Foundation @ Meow Nui, Wellington - 14/12/2024

• 1
  APT.
  ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
• 2
  DIE WITH A SMILE
  Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
• 3
  BIRDS OF A FEATHER
  Billie Eilish
• 4
  TASTE
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 5
  I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
  Gracie Abrams
• 6
  ESPRESSO
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 7
  SAILOR SONG
  Gigi Perez
• 8
  LOSE CONTROL
  Teddy Swims
• 9
  A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
  Shaboozey
• 10
  GOOD LUCK, BABE!
  Chappell Roan

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