Kimberley Rew "The Bible Of Bop" 1982

Guitar Brit Pop, reduced to the max!
Being a sucker for a good pop song and a good bop, it was a treat to be confronted by an album with such a joyful title! If it is the "bible" of "bop" it must be packed with upbeat singalong ditties! The opening track 'My Baby Does Her Hairdo Long' comes at you like a breath of fresh air confirming this. It's got a 60s bubblegum atmosphere with a 70s punky feel, a sound that's well maintained throughout the album. This track is by far the best, and the highlight is a powerful repeated riff with lots of "Ooh"s rather than a powerful chorus. Good harmonies are maintained right across the album. It is always the faster songs that stand out, such as 'Hey Way Pig' and especially 'Nightmare'. The medium paced 'Fishing' and 'Nothing's Going To Change' also work well with some effective riffs and simple but effective chord changes. 'Fighting Someone's War' is quite a change. Apart from being the slowest and lengthiest track, it is fullof tempo changes and extended guitar solos etc, a bit pompous yet fitting into the scene. It is a pity 'Stomping All Over The World' doesn't live up to it's name as it is let down by a watered down tuneless chorus. In fact, the only real critisism is that there isn't a single memorable, catchy chorus that really bites you in the right place. It takes the songs a while to grow on you. Still, there is an overall American teenage atmosphere a-la-late 70s/early 80s created and that's no bad thing. Seven out of ten. - Reviewed by Harin Perera
trax:
1. Nightmare - Kimberley Rew & The Waves 2. Stomping All over the World - Kimberley Rew & The Soft Boys 3. Nothing's Going to Change - Kimberley Rew & The Soft Boys 4. Fighting Someone's War - Kimberley Rew & The Soft Boys 5. My Baby Does Her Hairdo Long - Kimberley Rew & The dB's 6. Walking in the Dew - Kimberley Rew & The dB's 7. Fishing - Kimberley Rew & The dB's 8. Hey, War Pig! - Kimberley Rew & The Waves