The Innocents-Self Titled

The Innocents-Self Titled

Cover has normal wear and tear due to age. Cover is graded VG. Record is graded VG.

This album is powerpop disguised as New Wave and perhaps a little more New Wave than other powerpop bands who lean the same way. And this is surprising as the band look like a late 70s Californian Beach Boys covers band.

The Inncoents were fast tracked to (fleeting) fame when they were the subject of a television documentary about a struggling band going from the clubs to recording a album for a label. (maybe that’s where they got the band name from?…Innocents …get it?). This sudden (partial) success may have stifled their creativity or self perception somewhat. It’s hard to say – they play well enough and there are one or two ideas in there but like many of their contemporary “new wave” or “skinny tie” bands they really don’t have enough ideas for an entire album. Having said that, they could have been perfect singles bands.

Much is made of The Innocents “original” sound with quirky vocals and punchy delivery in the music. I’m not convinced. I think they are a pub rock band (or whatever the US equivalent is) with New Wave stylings. On top of that the vocals are not dissimilar to James Reyne vocals from the Australian band Australian Crawl. I suspect The Innocents weren’t looking at Australia – who was in 1982? – but the vocals (especially) and music (generally) bear more than a resemblance to Australian Crawl who had released two albums, by 1982, in Australia, and were incredibly popular. By the way, James Reyne had lifted his vocals from Stephen Cummings of The Sports, Australian most underrated powerpop band.
Review by; whatFrankislisteningto