Jun 16, 2014 | Shindig!
While musical scenes tend to adapt and evolve over the years, the Medway scene has remained resolutely retrogressive; an early ’60s time capsule, its residents happily ensconced in a world of Beatle boots, drainpipe jeans and Minimum R&B. As such, The Galileo 7, led by former Prisoner Allan Crockford, take what would appear a comparatively radical approach to the beat formula, infusing it as they do, with more than a hint of lysergic whimsy.
False Memory Lane is a Technicolor production (or reproduction), a kaleidoscopic journey through British psychedelia’s past, its guitars unapologetically acid-fried, its strings Mellotron-sampled. “Bah-bah-bah” backing vocals, unexpected tempo changes, instrumental tangents – all present and correct here. Paisley isn’t the only texture at work though. ‘I’m Still Here’ almost out-Fannies Norman Blake, while the sugar rush of ‘Don’t Know What I’m Waiting For’ sounds like The Primitives. The Galileo 7 are painting from a broader palette.
John Ebbs