You probably can’t get further from Laurel Canyon than Church Village in Wales, but CVC are doing their best to paint the town 60s. Their name (it stands for Church Village Collective) suggests long-haired vegan co-ops, their mantra is “peace and love and good times”, and their album is called Get Real, a groovy catchphrase that calls to mind John Lennon. One of their members has a penchant for berets.
These six twentysomething lads – singer Francesco Orsi, bassist Ben Thorne, drummer Tom Fry, keyboardist Daniel “Naniel” Jones and singing guitarists David Bassey and Elliott Bradfield, who are related to Shirley Bassey and a Manic Street Preacher, no less – have more “ooh-la-la-lahs” and “doo-wahs” than you can shake Brian Wilson at as they coo about timeless themes such as girls, getting into scrapes, smoking weed and working for the man.
And yet they have the charm and panache to transcend pastiche. Their buoyant 11-track debut – recorded in Bradfield’s front room and given some mixing desk sparkle by the producer Ross Orton, known for his work with Arctic Monkeys – is psych-pop made for outdoor stages at sundown. Or a sticky-floored indie disco in the mid-2000s if you were a Zutons fan. Following in the great tradition of Welsh psychedelia, CVC are unashamedly more polished and searching for acclaim beyond the valleys. Look out for their handlebar moustaches at festivals this summer.
Get Real is out now via Secretly Distribution
