What’s the difference between retro and nostalgic? Well, I’m no lexicographer, but in musical terms at least, to me the former tries to sound like what came before; the latter evokes less obvious, less tangible feelings about the past. One is forced, the other just flows. And by that definition, right or wrong, Desdemona is an album that is gently nostalgic rather than merely retreading past glories.
‘Blindside’ opens things with a cool wave of power-poppery and innocent vocal sounds, lilting sonics and smooth, soulful textures, not only a great opening song but a great signpost of where things are going to go. I hear in ‘Crooked Times’ the same blend of 60s paisley-patterned pop and 90s indie as The Wannadies’ iconic ‘You and Me Song’… which I guess makes for a two-stage nostalgic process. But best you don’t overthink things and enjoy the groove. (It’s just music, maaan!)
‘Blackish Blues,’ as the title might hint, has a more brooding sound, but it’s coloured by waves of shimmering psychedelic sonics, making for a strange and wonderful hybrid of roots and pop. The title track is dreamy and delicate, a song floated out rather than delivered, soft and sentimental but shot through with thick guitar lines and ‘Come On Home With Me’ channels the grooviest rock sounds, and has me imagining The Grateful Dead jamming with The Ohio Players. Sixties squared!
But as I say, this is not music which sounds like the past but rather looks to it for guidance; this is not someone repackaging what has gone before; this is a band imagining what would be happening if the 60s were an eternal, endless decade and writing music that captures both what that era sounded like and what it might sound like if it were still rolling on today.
And considering all the great musical advancements that decade was known for, did it really end anyway? Desdemona might suggest not.