The Galileo 7 - There Is Only Now (2019)

Brand new album from Medway's finest psych-beat combo! Heritage can be a harsh mistress. Ex-This, formerly of That. Past acclaim - particularly when it's attached to some of the most visceral and elemental rock 'n' roll of one's generation - can become both a help and a hindrance; impossible to shake off but crucial to continued acceptance in the fickle world of pop music. Not that this is any concern of The Galileo 7 of course. As the title of their sixth album proudly proclaims, There Is Only Now, and this record is nothing if not Now! From humble beginnings 10 years ago as a DIY outlet for Allan Crockford's songwriting ambitions (he was rarely afforded such luxuries as bass-wielding anchorman of The Prisoners, JTQ, Prime Movers, Solarflares et al) The Galileo 7 has evolved into a powerhouse live act delivering the kind of lysergically-inclined technicolour garage-rock rarely witnessed these days; one born of experience, exploration and an enjoyment of one's own craft. Following a period of fluctuation, the present line-up stabilised around Crockford (vocals, guitar), Paul Moss (bass, vocals), Viv Bonsels (keyboard, vocals) and the busiest man in garage, Matthew 'Mole' Lambert (drums, vocals) - yep, there are a lot of vocals in the mix here and the record is all the brighter for it. The G7's long-players since 2016's storming live in the studio set Live-O-Graphic have carried way more clout as a result of this newfound energy, breathing fresh life into Crockford's songs as the songs themselves delve ever more skilfully into a pool populated with Dandyish psychedelic pop, British Invasion muscle, new-wave sparkle and that ever-present Medway magic.