I can’t say enough about this album. Jim Noir (aka. Alan Roberts), hailing from Manchester, UK, channels pop psychedelia better than anyone this side of the Flaming Lips and the Super Furry Animals. In addition, he plays all the instruments heard on the album, ala Beck. And what an interesting collection of instrumentation and arrangement he brings to Tower of Love.

His lyrical content and themes seem simple, even childish at times. My Patch and Eanie Meany exemplify this but the catchy poppiness of the music had me forgetting any pretense for deep lyrical meaning. This is just plain fun. I didn’t realize until I’d listened to the album a few times that I’d heard Eanie Meanie for weeks during the last World Cup. Addidas had used a remix with slightly altered lyrics. It was catchy then and it still is.

In some spots you can hear The Beach Boys (I Me You I’m Your), Beta Band/Super Furry Animals (How To Be So Real), 60’s garage (Eanie Meanie), Burt Bacharach (Tower Of Love), Simon and Garfunkel (The Only Way). While I see the influences, I don’t feel he is parroting the above. Climb A Tree and Key of C are good examples of this.

Back to the instrumentation/arrangement - while the lyrical content is simplistic (by design) the instrumentation and arrangement is engaging. I think I heard a recorder and a clave at one point. The whole package literally took me back to my childhood listening to BBC Radio so many decades ago. Luckily, Mr. Noir doesn’t do The Bay City Rollers like BBC did. Thank you for that, Mr. Noir.

Recommended: A-