Every now and again a band comes along that changes the face of popular music, they might not necessarily be wholly original or devastatingly unique, but what they may have done is taken what has gone before, added in what they know themselves and developed a form of the existing matter that reflects a life, a time or a place that nobody else is suggesting, or indeed has done before.

These bands, you may think are virtually impossible to find. You may believe that nobody is penning these songs and committing them to tape, you may be turning into your parents with the belief that ‘they don’t write songs with a tune that you can dance to anymore’ or worse still ‘it’s all just a noise these days’. You may think this, but I can tell you with utter certainty that you are wrong. Bands with such distinct potency, with a startlingly passionate delivery of such compassionate, heartfelt, real life songs are, I agree, few and far between, but scratch just slightly below the surface of the Top of the Pops playlist, explore a few new avenues and you will find these bands, these records, these songs. You will find them, and you not be disappointed.

Decoration are one of the few bands that I would put into this category, I can count on the fingers of a two fingered gesture the number of bands who have got me really excited in recent years – and I mean really excited here – and Decoration are one of them.

‘I Tried It, I Liked It, I Loved It’ is their debut single, being given a soft release of a limited run of 500 seven inch vinyl copies on Scottish indie stalwarts SL Records, who are quickly becoming the Postcard records for the new generation. Lifted directly from their forthcoming album ‘Don’t Disappoint Me Now’ (due out later this summer), the song is an out and out pop rock cavalcade, rollercoastering to the edges of control, seemingly teetering on the brink of self destruction before being reined back in and coming back full circle. The delivery is oozing with passion and dripping with the self assured confidence which should really be afforded to the likes of Status Quo (25 years in the business and all that). That Decoration should be so assured in their debut release is evidence of their utter confidence in their product, and they are right to be so confident. From the opening machinegun drum salvo, through the M6 pile up choruses, and the free falling verses right down to the passionately spilled unravelling denouement here is a song that surely deserves all the accolades that I can award.

‘I Tried It, I Liked It, I Loved It’ is triumphant yet elegant, powerful yet delicate and passionate yet confident three minutes and twenty seconds that defines a life time. It grips you by the balls, shows you what it is really about, what is important, what is vital, and then spits you back out with a renewed positivity and a realisation that ‘yes, these bands are out there, these songs do exist, I have scratched the surface, and I have found them...’.

I tried it, and yes, I did like it, I would go so far as to say that I loved it. I think you will as well.

Pre order your copy from: SL Records - Rhythm Online - HMV.

Words by Johnny Mac
 

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