lois - the Polperro Horse Bus Company

Lois

The Polperro Horse Bus Company 
self-released; 2014

4.0 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Ted Rogen

There might be something slightly wrong with you if you can’t dig the album The Polperro Horse Bus Company by Lois. I mean sixteen pop songs that unapologetically sound like some of the best rock bands from the ‘60s and ‘70s. What is there not to like? 

At first the number of songs on their album may seem a bit daunting in a day and age where we consume music faster than ever before but the record goes by much faster than expected. When you break it down most of the songs are two to four minutes long and there aren't any fillers or ambient noodlings that drag on. Instead you are greeted with song after song of poppy, accessible old school rock that feels great going down. 

The album opens with a ‘50s Beatles-esque song called “King Of Opinion” that you could imagine being played on The Ed Sullivan show a couple of decades ago. It's an unpretentious song that sings about being pretentious. The vocalist sings, “Get your own words / If your opinion’s king / Cos I’m sick of the pretention / All around.”

“Star is Falling” has a sing-along worthy chorus and is just all around filled with infectious hooks. Some of the little things make a difference such as the vocal harmonies and the perfect amount of crunch on the guitar. “The Polperro Horse Bus Company” has some wicked organ while “Monkey Girl” is a dance song you might have heard in 1957. One of the highlights for me was “Don't Waste Your Love Away,” which was not only catchy but had an emotional resonance that sometimes was not apparent on the other songs.  

Out of sixteen songs there were surprisingly no duds in the mix. Sure some songs were better than others but none were skip worthy. Lois isn’t the only band these days revitalizing rock from a couple of decades ago. Bands like Foxygen and Ty Segall Band have attempted and succeeded at pulling off revivalist rock that doesn't sound contrived and mere imitations to the pioneers. Lois is a very welcome addition to the club and I have a feeling you will be hearing more from them soon. 

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