This Many Boyfriends - This Many Boyfriends

It takes This Many Boyfriends less than twenty seconds to identify their core listener demographic: “You love pop songs about love more than being in love in the first place.” As openers go, it’s a fantastic lyric. You’re probably also expected to know who the song’s namesake, Tina Weymouth, is.

This Many Boyfriends’ debut album feel like it’s been a long time coming; the songs have been shown off live a number of times, and it’s good to hear that the energy has stuck around to be recorded. From the rousing ‘(I Should Be A) Communist’ to the rollicking ‘I Don’t Like You (‘Cos You Don’t Like The Pastels), every song is a razor-sharp pop hit. But that’s not to say that the Leeds troupe are nothing more than one trick ponies.

Forthcoming single ‘Number One’ is a sweet ditty of a love song, in which lead singer Richard beckons, “You should be my number one”. But then it’s quickly followed by the ‘You Don’t Need To Worry’. The guitars are still, but there’s something triumphant about the intro, and drummer Laura’s lush backing vocals are used brilliantly. And then it all goes a bit Morrissey, as Richard advises us over a slightly more maudlin soundscape, “Be happy tonight”. It’s all a little bit fantastic.

Here is a band who wear their influences on their sleeves, namedrop everyone from Springsteen to The Cribs (which makes sense, since the album was produced by Ryan Jarman), and sound like they’re having fun doing it. The off-kilter ‘That’s What Diaries Are For’ is a particular highlight, with the strangest energy, and talk of bullying and not wearing your sister’s plimsoles. Sound advice. It all culminates in the chant “Fanzines aren’t friends”, which continues as the drums and guitars build up to a lovely finish. It’s strange then, that ‘Everything’ is the track that ends the album. It’s not a bad song by any means, but being the longest on the album, it feels like a tacked-on extra that meanders far more than the punchier snippets we’ve heard before.