The View - Cheeky For A Reason

Having emerged from the bottomless bucket of indie bands in 2005, The View have probably dropped a little deeper than some other acts that became popular during this time; after high praise for their debut ‘Hats Off To The Buskers’, they’ve received a lot of slagging off. This aside, The View are a band who know how to write a catchy chorus or ten - which they prove on ‘Cheeky For A Reason’.

It is almost a shame though, that they’re firing off the best track of the album as the first one: ‘How Long’, also the first single, shines with an utterly catchy chorus and almost boyband-like, clear vocals. It also sounds oddly familiar even at the first listen, a feature of almost all of the tracks - even more, most even resemble other bands.

Describing a track as “it sounds like…” is usually not a good sign, but if the “sound likes” are as versatile as on ‘Cheeky For A Reason’, they can’t not be named. ‘Bullet’ could’ve been a Frankie & The Heartstrings song, only missing the chorus, lapsing into ambient / background music. ‘Hole In The Bed’ (resembling various Wombats tracks) would fit so well into any indie disco circa 2005, that you’re almost urged to take out that pair of skinny jeans and your old blazer. The twanging ‘Bunker (Solid Ground)’ could have been sung by Amy MacDonald. And somewhere in between there’s a blob of Ordinary Boys. The only expectable hint however, namely the one of Kings Of Leon, whose “secret fifth band member” Angelo Petraglia co-wrote some songs, is missing, if guessable on some tracks like for example ‘The Clock’.

Unfortunately the sound remains too glossy overall. Not only ‘How Long’, also ‘AB (We Need Treatment)’ or ‘Sour Little Sweetie’ are lacking what would fit The View so much better - a rougher, less perfect sound. Because one thing is definite: Kyle Falconer knows how to write catchy songs and it’s a shame that a lot of the very simple yet ear-pleasing melodies drift into wishy washy indie sound, with nods to 50’s rock’n’roll, 90’s Britpop, 2005’s indie and 2012’s cleanliness (sound-wise, anyways).

And then, alongside some fillers, pops up this little track named ‘Tacky Tattoo’ at the end, which is such a sweet little song with its retro piano sound and low-key vocals, that you wonder what made the producer and band polish the other songs so much. Is there a hint of Duffy in that minor chord? So what.