The Bobby Holidays: At the Beach (Holiday/bandcamp)

Delayed by lockdown but timely now for the (Bobby?) holiday season, this project to record with singer/writer Bobby Werry includes a number of name players familiar to Elsewhere and elsewhere listeners, among them Darren McShane (Superturtle) and the horns of Nick Atkinson (Hopetoun Brown) and Finn Scholes.

And drummer Gareth Scott plus a bunch of kids doing backing vocals in couple of places.

Recorded live with all the enthusiasm that can capture, this collection brings together slightly bratty jangle-stomp pop (When She Comes which peels off from “around the mountain”, Don't Worry Baby), partytime soul-funk horn-driven pop songs (Jane, the title track) and a dollop of the pop energy of pre-punk pub rock (So Good, The Alamo) . . . a nod to the venues where this is probably going to be best appreciated for a band which had homeground at the Clare Inn bar on Auckland's Dominion Road.

Werry writes droll lyrics (Train to Melbourne) but also addresses some serious matters (Over My Shoulder about kicking the booze and straightening up in life) delivered in enjoyably packaged songs where the horns nod towards New Orleans or soul music.

In the liner notes on the vinyl Werry says they hope the album gets repeat plays “and maybe gets better each time” and that's a fair wish.

On a casual hearing it's appeal isn't immediately apparent but after a couple of plays it comes off as a serious invitation to catch them live.

Although the limitations of Werry's vocal delivery -- much the same on every one of these 13 songs -- is a major drawback.

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This album is available at bandcamp here

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