By Jim Rowland
Featuring The Damned’s rhythm section of Rat Scabies and Paul Gray, alongside songwriters and co-frontmen Sean Elliott and Alfie Agnew, both veterans of the Southern California punk rock scene, ÜK/ÜS supergroup Professor and the Madman this week release their fifth album ‘Dreamworld’, their first in six years.
Don’t expect a punk rock album in the traditional sense here though. Superbly produced, ‘Dreamworld’ is a diverse album, mixing elements of ‘70s power pop with ‘60s psych pop/rock, and the odd punk infusion.
The quirky and lush piano pop of ‘Dreamworld’ and ‘Brand New World’ have a Beatles-esque quality to them, and the likes of ‘Tolerent World’, ‘Adams Street’ and the Big Star-influenced ‘The Light’ are all quality slices of ’60s or ’70s power pop.
The psych is strong on ’12 Strings and Tambourines, with backwards guitar effects and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ drums, whilst ‘Songs In My Head’ takes the psych pop into a dreamy realm.
Elsewhere, a cracking cover of 20/20’s ‘Nuclear Boy’ provides the album’s most punk-infused moment, whilst ‘Temple of Madness’ enters darker70’s hard rock territory.
The song writing here is top notch, as is the production and performance. Six years after their last album, Professor and the Madman may well have come up with their strongest album to date here.
- ‘Dreamworld’ is released on Friday (7 August).