Reverend and the Makers – A French Kiss In The Chaos

Almost a year ago Jon ‘Reverend’ McClure announced he was quitting music after the next Reverend and the Makers record. And, much to the man’s surprise, a lot of people breathed a sigh of relief. Some (unsuprisingly) even did a bit of light piss-taking. So then he decided to perform a U-turn, in an attempt perhaps to salvage (or create) his reputation. And so A French Kiss In The Chaos, record number two, may no longer be the last we’ve heard from this particularly bandy of angry young Northerners.The previous Reverends model for album number one was telling tales of booze and women in the witty observant way of Arctic Monkeys et al, in a landscape of pubs, clubs, concrete and 9-to-5 drudgery.  But it seems the swaggering and bravado has developed a bit of a conscience, as this album rolls with the times taking in nanny states, politicians, the media, and the ubiquitous anti-war theme.There’s an unshakable feeling throughout AFKITC that Reverend and the Makers are just a little bit too big for their boots ”“ there’s a tone in Jon McClure’s voice that suggests he thinks he’s some kind of leading authority on life, the universe and everything, which isn’t backed up by his somewhat basic lyrics: “You’re free to do as we tell you/ you’re free to do as we say”.The horn section does add a bit of depth to proceedings, giving the sound a slightly deeper, more mature feel, but at times the slide trumpet sound can become a little too depressing. The funk influences are also interesting, particularly the bass on ‘No Wood Just Trees’, especially when combined with the Laser Quest sounds also going on in the background, and the cheeky blink-and-you’ll-miss-it middle eight. Middle two, if you will.The beginning of 'Professor Pickles' sounds a little bit like the Doctor Who theme tune (and, indeed, a Doctor Who villain), and for all their lyrical shortcomings, Reverend and the Makers can write a damn good riff. We’re looking at a one listen to three days in the head ratio here.AFKITC does little to enhance Jon McClure’s reputation, it merely cements it. Reverend and the Makers will never be good as Arctic Monkeys, and sit somewhere alongside Kasabian, but just can’t quite fill those arenas yet. If the band was happy to cruise through along the river of mediocrity as they’ve currently be doing, I’d have no beef. But it’s the fact that they think they’re something special that really grates, and it’s smeared all over the album in an unavoidable way. So Jon, perhaps you should do us all a favour and perform another U-turn. 49%Reverend and the Makers on MySpace