The View - Shock Horror

If it aint broke don’t fix it, so the saying goes, which probably explains why The View have lifted a single off new album ‘Which Bitch’ that sounds like it would have sat comfortably on debut ‘Hats Off To The Buskers’. Avant-garde this isn’t.

Tinkling ivories and reflective vocals soon give way to a beefy barrage of spiky guitars that became so familiar with The View’s earlier output. Alright, there’s a smattering of piano and the guitars have been turned up several notches from ‘Libertines’ to ‘Oasis’, but as an indicator to what a new album is going to sound like, The View are playing their cards so close to their chest, they’re almost wearing them. And of course, there’s that distinctive voice. We’d challenge anyone who wasn’t in a cave when ‘Same Jeans’ was released, not to recognise Kyle Falconer’s fervent bawl, which come the final verse is cranked up to 11 and, believe it or not, sounding louder and more abrasive than ever.

Not exactly a return to form then, as it sounds like they’ve never been away. More of a reminder of what The View are all about.