aaamusic | On 06, Oct 2015

As thousands of people have clearly been on their knees begging for The Ordinary Boys to return to our ears (right?), few would’ve expected them to have changed their sound in such a way as this. So, the big question has to be – does it work?

Honestly? It sounds the best part of a decade too late and Never Mind The Buzzcocks’ Preston gives the impression that he and his songwriting amigos have had their head in the sand for the last few years. This would’ve probably gone down a treat when the band were in their prime yet it all sounds like it’s treading ground that other, more inventive bands were covering in the mid-’00s and, despite some solid bass lines and Mr Preston’s distinctive voice, it all blurs into a bit of a one-size-fits-all sound that struggles to jump off the page. There’s not a lot wrong with the song but any plus points can be counted on a number of fingers that you could comfortably hold up while you sip your morning brew.

‘Four Letter Word‘ just seems a little too late to the party in general and, unfortunately, the recent return of The Ordinary Boys seems a tad too generic to set anyone’s world alight.

Ciaran Steward