Richard Hawley: 'Serious'

Most music these days borrows, pillages and thieves its style and melodies from the '60s. Blame Oasis, blame Paul McCartney, blame Klaxons (alright, maybe we can't blame the nu-ravers for this one), but somehow the years '60-'69 have becomes so revered that half the nation's musical output is a regurgitation of all things Beatles, Kinks and Stones-shaped. So how do you solve a problem like Ocean Colour Scene? Well you could make some futuristic, industrial metal racket on a set of synths and hi-tech computer systems. Or, if you happen to be Richard Hawley, you could say, 'Sod off to the '60s!' and dig out your dad's dusty '50s vinyl collection and boop-woolla-boop-bop to the sounds of Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison.

Ex-Pulp guitar hero and proud Sheffieldian Richard Hawley is unashamedly retro. 'Serious' has a funky double bass intro that sounds like it was stolen from the Titanic's house band, while his lyrics about "stars above", "being in love", hearts turning to "stone" and being "alone" are a million miles from the ringtones, kids with baseball bats and tracky bottoms tucked in socks of the Arctic Monkeys. Featuring the finest swooning guitar breakdown since, well, some great swooning guitar breakdown that your grandma probably fell in love to your granddad with down the local dancehall. It's soothing, classic rock that's so good it may inspire a fashion comeback for the Buddy Holly quiff and super-thick rimmed spectacles. Fingers crossed.