You either “get” The Stuffies or you don’t. It’s always been this way. Personally, I’ve always had both feet firmly in the camp that wonders why The Wonder Stuff aren’t regularly garlanded with the same kind of prestige bestowed upon the “professionally” recognised greats. “We were heroes to some/But others won’t say our name,” sings Miles Hunt, and never has anybody summed up their band’s entire career so succinctly in so few words.
Hunt, of course, has a songwriting history littered with fond reminiscences, such as the misty-eyed ‘The Sun Goes Down On Manor Road‘ from 2006’s Suspended By Stars. Even as far back as 1989’s Hup, in fact, with songs like ‘Room 401‘, there was a tendency to look to days of yore for inspiration.
‘30 Goes Around The Sun‘ continues the trend, and not without good reason. So titled because the band first set foot inside a recording studio exactly thirty years to the date of its release (19th March), there are subtle nods to former glories that true fans will lap up, perhaps ones that would evade the casual listener. ‘Weakened‘, for instance, beckons comparison with Never Loved Elvis highlight ‘Donation‘, due to its dramatic, gnarly guitar motifs and menacing backbeat, whereas the title track, which closes the album, possesses the same defiantly joyful ambience as 1993 hit ‘Full Of Life (Happy Now)‘.
Much has changed of course, since those heady days of old, Miles now operating as the sole remaining member, two of the original band – bassist Rob Jones and drummer Martin Gilks – having tragically passed long before their time, while long time sparring partner and guitarist Malc Treece left at the tail end of 2011. There were, of course, other members during their most commercially successful period circa 1991-3, but they had long since lost interest in any continued involvement. Given the circumstances then, who would have thought that Hunt would go on to craft his best album since he resurrected the name in 2004? I’d even go so far as saying that, although Construction For The Modern Idiot was a fine album in itself, 30 Goes Around The Sun sounds more like a natural successor to Never Loved Elvis than anything the band have recorded since.
For one thing, Hunt’s partner Erica Nockalls is a captivating violinist, maybe leaning towards a more classical bent than that of her predecessor, Martin Bell, and this seems to suit The Wonder Stuff perfectly. Then you have the classic Stuffies mix between the playful (the brilliant ‘For The Broken Hearted‘), the wistful (‘The Kids From The Green‘, which begins as though it could be the theme tune to a Pebble Mill At One type afternoon TV show!) and of course, some trademark Hunt vitriol here and there!
I have no idea what other critics may make of this album, and frankly, I don’t care. It’s this critic’s favourite album of 2016 thus far and by some distance.
