GARFIELDS BIRTHDAY ~ MORE SENSE THAN MONEY

Formed in 1995 in the English seaside town of Weymouth and inspired by everyone from Teenage Fanclub and XTC to Big Star. Garfields Birthday is a pop band and a very good pop band at that. After 10 years of live gigs and appearances on various compilations they released their first EP in back in 2005. Their latest release, More Sense Than Money, sounds exactly like an album by a band that has been together for more than a decade and a half should. Their playing is air tight and their harmonies are spot on. My favorite track is 'Bubbles' which is a damn near perfect pop song. You should definitely check ‘em out.

Reviewed at Ear Candy by J R Oliver, USA

A couple of years ago I reviewed a solo album by one Simon Felton. Well, he's back with his old band Garfields Birthday for a roustabout rush through a dozen tunes going under the title of More Sense Than Money. Opener 'Cool Your Jets' (written in collaboration with brother Shane, who is another band member) sets the uplifting pop-tastic tone, then it's the quieter 'Liar,' the brief 'I See Shadows' with more than a hint of the Summer of Love, and the similarly groovy 'Cambridge,' these latter two being album highlights. 'Carry On Karaoke' is stroppier, while, further on, there's a two minute delight called 'Future Song' - gotta be the single? 'King Rat' is an old GB song with a bit of autotuned Cher thrown in, while lengthy album closer 'Normality' comes over like a lost cut from '68. Some good tunes, proper vocals well sung and no messing about make this a great listen.

Reviewed at Terrascope Online by Simon Lewis, UK

Quickly following up Tea and Sympathy, its excellent compendium of early tracks, Garfields Birthday issues More Sense Than Money, a set of brand new tunes. Now firmly under the control of Felton brothers Simon (bass, vox) and Shane (guitar, engineering), the British quartet luxuriates in winsome melodies, 60s atmosphere and sentiments so sweet as to be almost syrupy, if not for the sincerity with which they’re delivered. “Wandering our way through the market with love on our mind,” Simon sings in 'Cambridge' over a lovely melody for a track that brings to mind the early Bee Gees more than bad romantic poetry. (The Hollies and the Posies seem to be the band’s other major touchstones). Besides, the cuts’ outer sugar often masks a sour undertone – cf. 'Cool Your Jets', 'King Rat' (“What am I supposed to do when I’m killing you?”) and the gently nasty 'Short Straw' (“If I can’t have you,” breathes Simon prettily, “I’ll have someone else”). But even if you pay little attention to the words, you can still be swept away by Garfields’ penchant for beguiling melodies and sweet sibling harmonies on the crunchy 'Carry On Karaoke', the psychedelic 'Normality', the garage-rocking 'Better Things' and the soaring 'Future Song'. With only one misstep – did 'King Rat' really need Autotuned vocals? – More Sense Than Money is once again the kind of excellent record that leaves one wondering why Garfields Birthday aren’t legends in the power pop underground.

Reviewed at The Big Takeover by Michael Toland, USA

The alpha and omega from one of Britain's best-kept secrets, these releases demonstrate Britpop is not dead, just tanning on the Dorset beach. Tea and Sympathy combines their late 90s debut single and EP with previously unreleased home demos and studio recordings prior to co-founder James Laming's departure to form Mondo Jet Set. From the jangly, Byrdsy 'Thick Ear' to the XTC goes paisley pop of the Ambulance EP, this is killer acoustic Britpop. And the unreleased tracks are better than most of what did in fact hit the shelves! Elements of The Church ('Better Than Reality'), The House of Love ('Margaret and Stephanie'), Julian Cope during his more lucid moments, Teenage Fanclub and a touch of Billy Bragg ('Old England') combine to create an unbeatable introduction. Fifteen years on, the band release their second full-lengther, and to quote The Ramones - "Second verse/same as the first"! Let Them Eat Cake was my favourite pop album of 2008, and More Sense Than Money is the perfect sequel, delivering the same gorgeous harmonies, catchy as flypaper melodies, melancholic navel-gazers ('Cambridge'), hummable choruses, and jingly-jangly head nodders ('The Garden Wall') as before. An amazingly warm and fuzzy achievement all around, lads. Encore!

Reviewed in Shindig! by Jeff Penczak, UK

Brothers Shane and Simon Felton have returned since 2008's Let Them Eat Cake. The Weymouth, UK band has quietly been doing it's thing on the small Pink Hedgehog label. This album is chockfull of smart tunes with combinations of crunchy guitars and soft harmonies. 'Cool Your Jets' is a great opening single and 'I See Shadows' is a dreamy smooth pop song with Simon's vocal floating above the melody. 'Cambridge' is another soft pop gem that stands alongside Chad and Jeremy's classics. These ballads are where the brothers shine, but the lyrical story and melody works perfect on the excellent mid-tempo 'Carry On Karaoke'. This is so much stronger than anything they've done before, and the harmonies go into overdrive on 'Future Song'. Like a softer version of Teenage Fanclub, this is one album sure to warm your heart over the holidays.

Reviewed at Powerpopaholic by Aaron Kupferberg, USA

It’s amazing the interest is in 60s pop-psych with intriguing compilations of labels such as Capitol, Apple etc. Simon Felton and co sound like the real deal from back then, as if you are listening to the pick of the crop from a bygone era with Simon and Shane’s vocal harmonies recalling great bands from both sides of the Atlantic. The music is irresistibly catchy with a consistency in song writing that demarcates More Sense Than Money as GB’s best yet. ‘I See Shadows’ could have come from The Kinks or any of those early beat groups. “I don’t really like karaoke nights but when I hear them sing ‘Nikita’ then my life begins again” sing the band on one of the heaviest songs on the album ‘Come On Karaoke’- “We can get it right if we stay all night!” sings Simon in typical self-deprecating style injected with a sense of contemplation and humour that infuses all GB songs. In reality though Simon’s songs span the years and you could easily imagine Fergal Sharkey singing the slightly punky ‘Bubbles’ with its rocking, all too brief guitar break. ‘King Rat’ is a moody slightly vocoded song that brought The Bevis Frond to mind as GB veer away from pop to something a bit more intense. This is followed by ‘Better Things’, the absolute classic song on the album. You’ll swear you’ve heard the melody before but of course you haven’t, you’re talking about ahead of its time early 60s here, a song that could easily have ended up on an early Beatles LP! Is this still relevant in 2010 - you bet!

Reviewed at Zeitgeist by Phil Jackson, UK

Despite Mr Hedgehog's decision to go digital, the lure of a new Garfields Birthday album sees the label continue with another shiny CD. Now into their fifteenth year, Garfields Birthday first saw the light of day back when Britpop wasn't a dirty word, and their brand of melodic indie pop has managed to age well, unlike me. Two years on from Let Them Eat Cake, the brothers Felton (Shane and Simon) have brought in new guitarist Leighton McGrath, and got on with the business of writing and recording well crafted and performed musical vignettes. As always they've taken on a wide variety of subjects on songs that XTC would be proud to call their own. At least, back when XTC still wrote songs. The highlights abound, and for me, it's when they pause for breath and slow things down that it works best. So, play 'Liar' and 'Cambridge' back to back if you want to hear them at their best. It's a record chock full of catchy choruses, top quality harmonies and melodies that will be ringing in your ears for days. So clap your ears to 'Cool Your Jets' and 'Carry On Karaoke', and prepare for pleasure.

Reviewed at Zeitgeist by Stuart Hamilton, UK

Fans of the classic Brit pop that graced MTV's 120 Minutes during its heyday in the late 80s… you will rejoice upon hearing Garfields Birthday. We’ve covered this band on numerous other occasions, and are very happy to report that their latest, More Sense Than Money, is their best yet! Founded by brothers Shane and Simon Felton, Garfields Birthday has now been around for 15 years – where does the time go? The band has added guitarist Leighton McGrath, which may have something to do with the markedly heavier edge the pop has this time out – which suits this batch of songs well. Longtime fans need not worry… Garfields Birthday has not abandoned their trademark sound and knack for writing smart pop hooks with Partridge Family harmonies and backing vocals.

But the added umph that McGrath brings to these tunes seems to have provided a new energy all around. You’ll notice the revitalized sound right at the top with the lively 'Cool Your Jets', followed closely by the melancholy 'Liar'. 'Cambridge' is a sweet ballad with gorgeous strings that provides a nice break from the rest of this generally crunchy pop record. 'Carry On Karaoke' is one of the strongest songs, with very catchy chord changes; as the title suggests, it was written as a tribute to the loyal supporters of a weekly karaoke session that takes place in one of Weymouth’s pubs. Finally, 'Bubbles' is another upbeat offering worth repeated listens. More Sense Than Money will be available November 29, 2010. Fans will embrace this one, and I would encourage all lovers of smart Brit-pop to take a listen. The music of Garfields Birthday is very reminiscent of The Connells and The Judybats.

Reviewed at Bill's Music Forum by Bill Holmes, USA

Jumping to the present’s More Sense Than Money, the Weymouth, Dorset seaside vets aren’t depressed by the departure of original guitarist/co-songwriter James Laming after 2008’s debut LP (following some EPs), Let Them Eat Cake. With replacement Leighton McGrath ensconced, leader Simon Felton cheerfully carries on his classic pop muse, delving even deeper into benignly embraced influences. It’s one thing to adore The Byrds the way Teenage Fanclub does and Velvet Crush did; it’s another to so successfully capture, like with a net, the singular resplendent harmonies all three sing, like on the opening 'Cool Your Jets' and 'Short Straw'. These are so good, they could be outtakes from the Fannies’ Howdy (a compliment). Otherwise, GB sublimely keep the tempting harmonies coming, along with Colin Moulding (XTC)/Paul McCartney sweet pop (the violin-bedecked waltz 'Cambridge'), plus neo-Kinks ('I See Shadows'), and neo-Sound Affects-Jam ('Carry on Karaoke', 'Better Things') treats. Yum!

Reviewed at The Big Takeover by Jack Rabid, USA

There was talk of Pink Hedgehog becoming a digital-only label, but there must have been a change of plan because the new Garfields Birthday release is a proper CD in a proper case. Phew. The Weymouth quintet, lead by label owner Simon Felton (go to the PH website and sign up for his strangely life-affirming e-mail updates) have been pushing the Brit-pop envelope for as long as I can remember, and More Sense Than Money, with it’s clever wordplay, crunchy guitars and melodic glut shows no signs of plans being changed.

Reviewed at Leicester Bangs by Rob Forbes, UK