Sandman: Vinyl LP

"Somewhere, frozen in deep space, is a pop group. They’re called The Original Doo-Wop Spacemen and they make mutated 50s pop music - somewhere between the great American songbook and classic jukebox tunes, then dipped in classic romance film scores before being lathered up with prog-rock, jazz and psychedelia. They’re the brainchild of Oliver Taylor, frontman of Trudy and The Romance. Or maybe they’re the characterised manifestation of several real-life experiences. In either case, The Original Doo-Wop Spacemen are here, and they’re playing on Trudy and The Romance’s debut album ‘Sandman’ - a cosmic, kaleidoscopic, merry-go-round of a record that is bursting with bright ambition. While the intricate details of the narrative might be buried in the lyrics, under layers of fuzz or light-years away, there is certainly a story here - a specific conceptual idea. It involves the characters Little Johnny, frontman of The Original Doo-Wop Spacemen, and Sweet Emma, his love. The album takes cues from the golden age of Disney. It’s also informed by Phil Spector. For example, Liverpool’s very own Sense of Sound Choir sing on every track, lending the album its woozy, encompassing feel. Produced by David Pye (Wild Beasts, Egyptian Hip Hop), ‘Sandman’ is unlike anything you’ll hear in 2019, or the next lifetime. Look out for the Doo-Wop Spacemen the next time you enter the astral plane. They’ll be performing their alligator rock-n-roll for this generation, the one before it, and the rest to come.