Album Review: Sarandon – The June Bride

The June Bride is a mini album to be released on 7" only, containing seven tracks with a total running time of just under nine minutes. I can't actually comment on the packaging or quality of the vinyl since the promo is naturally on boring CD, but I've had plenty of 7"s off Leeds' Wrath Records to know final result shouldn't disappoint. This is actually the fourth such mini seven-track 7" album release from Sarandon, the other three being The Miniest Album (Run Out Records), The Big Flame (Banzan Records) and The Feminist Third, and later this year there's apparently a 28 track CD compilation with all four albums on.

The three piece certainly have the knack of writing a good little pop tune, though if you're already thinking in terms of S-Club and Britney, stop right there. This is more like your classic Smiths or Hefner sort of pop: clean, chunky guitars, twangy bass and edgy rhythms, with added brass on some tracks. As you might expect from songs this short, no time is wasted on noodling guitar solos and given the opportunity all of them could have you dancing. The lyrics are generally somewhat tongue in cheek and upbeat.

Opener 'Kitten' is great but by far the best thing on here is 'Virginity' with its weird guitar bend hook and lyric: "He lost it all to a one-armed girl, like goin' to bed with Def Leppard." How can you not grin your face off to this?

The album is due out in May 2006 and you can get it here:
http://www.wrathrecords.co.uk
http://www.sarandon.net
http://www.myspace.com/sarandon