For a few years now, I’ve been telling everybody within reasonable viewing distance of this site or my Twitter account about the virtues of The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco, who are “superstars alongside XTC and Squeeze in an alternate universe in which pop music doesn’t insult your intelligence.” In case you hadn’t read those earlier splutters, TFF is a vehicle for the Essex, England-based songwriting team of David Meyers (prose) and Malcolm Moore (melodies) who make pop rock music targeted at grown-ups with things like chord changes, bridges and instruments that are played by hand, and they play and sing them pretty darn well.
Going back to 2014, TFF has released a steady stream of material but their latest The Harvard Tango is only their third full-length album, and the second long playerNot For Everyone is acoustic-focused. So The Harvard Tango is a rare, ‘mainline’ LP from the duo, and while there’s no apparent theme to this entry, Tango does rock a little harder. For that reason, the Steely Dan comparisons that they usually draw might not be so apparent this time around, but as always, their craftsmanship aspires to Becker/Fagan level of detail.
On top of all that, the 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco typically serves up a good dose of wit, and right now we can all use a little levity.
The boys draw equally from both sides of the Atlantic: “The Harvard Tango” takes a heaping helping of Humble Pie with a dash of Little Feat. Meanwhile, a “A Yard Of Pace” is a delicate fingerpicked rock ballad in the mold of Kansas’ “Dust In The Wind, ” while referencing Elton John.
The crunchy bluesy shuffle of “Take Me To Rutterford” makes this song pop, while the dirty rocker “Dirk Is Not A Bogey” is more of the Faces persuasion. “Bros. Fairchild & Marylebone” is a story of fraternal love set to a sea shanty. “Queen Of The Hollywood Extras” not only takes on a West Coast theme but also assumes a West Coast, LA-rock sound.
“Dream Pharma” (video above) casts a side eye at capital punishment by lethal injection — legal in nearly two-thirds of American states — and the role of pharmaceuticals in it. Like many Tail-Fin songs, it grins while packing a punch.
Last year’s electro-pop dance tune “39 Grams” is recast as a cock-strutting rocker. It might lack that James Brown drum break leading into the chorus but a brawny bass line makes up for it.
The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco has so much going for it musically, yet still not as widely known as their stellar reputation among those who’ve heard them would warrant. For those craving quality, smart mainstream rock, they are well worth the listen and the purchase.
The Harvard Tango is now available from Bandcamp.
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