Top Ten Albums by Hatcham Social

Hatcham Social are one of those bands that seem to fly below the radar for most people and yet are incredibly hard-working and prolific.

Not quite mainstream (yet) they have a slew of celebrity fans including Tim Burgess, who has called them ‘a wonderful pop group with the world’s coolest drummer’.

Second album, About Girls, was released by Fierce Panda earlier this year following a Pledge Music campaign. Current single Lois Lane is a great example of the sound of the album, and of the band.

It’s got both jangly and chunky guitar lines running through it, a soaring chorus that winks cheekily with an inclination to become anthemic before brilliantly breaking down into a riff that brings back a fit of nostalgia for the theme tune of Pat Sharpe’s Fun House.

The single is fun – full of cheekiness but also indie-boy coyness, floppy fringes, a nice jumper some intelligent lyrics. Wonderful, wonderful pop.

You can check out the Riley Difford directed video at the bottom of this post.

We caught up with the band’s brothers Toby and Finn Kidd to find out what music has influenced them and what makes the cut on their Top Ten Albums list.

Beach Boys ‘Surfs Up’

The coolest weird sounds on this album and the first forays into political songs for the band. Disney Girls used reverse reverb for the first time. This was also the first Beach Boys record we found when we were kids.

This pretty much does everything an album should do for us!

Fun Boy Three ‘Waiting’ 

The ’80s pop sensibilities are something we love, really punchy well-played interesting production (courtesy of producer David Byrne).

Terry Hall sets such a great tone with his bored approach to vocals and insightful narrative lyrical depth.

Chemical Brothers ‘Dig Your Own Hole’

Rock ‘n’ roll record made for a dance music generation. This is just great sounds, energy and some fantastic emotions.

Beth Orton guests on the biggest song on the record -‘Where Do I Begin’ and it builds in such a great way. Love it.

The sounds influence us a lot in the studio.

Orange Juice ‘Glasgow School’

This was the first band and record we found where it was like ‘Wow, these are doing what we want to do and it works’.

Feel, lyrics, great rhythms and a real punk attitude in the recordings.

Felt ‘Forever Breaths the Lonely Word’

They always looked cool, Lawrence sings in a moody way that makes it feel like your in some special outsider world, a world that feels great.

Poetic and layered picking guitars and Doors-influenced keys, it’s just got ‘that’ feeling.

The Smiths ‘The Smiths’

Obviously everyone knows about this but its a key record for us. As well as the other records and also ‘Hatful Of Hollow’ which is probably as good as any of the studio albums, this has that Smiths genius that is just incredibly inspiring.

This record more than them all though, has the direct sound and energy, of an angry confused bunch of intelligent guys doing things their own way.

The Jesus and Mary Chain ‘Darklands’ 

The record that shows the ambition of the band. Just incredible songs.

The mood and noisey guitars is just a great place to be in. You can really hear the influence of the Beach Boys in this it too, which is cool.

The band have this special energy which is in everything from the clothes to the interviews, its a whole package. Fuck the world and put this album on.

Echo and The Bunnymen ‘Heaven Up Here’

Its lyrics are difficult. Aggressive music and sounds. Energy and drive.

The musicianship is incredible. The vocals are used in a sort of talking way, chanting, ranting, low in mix and part of the overall sound. Feels like they are really making something special.

It was a weirder album for a second record rather than a trying to get bigger record. Poetic and experimental.

Al Stewart ‘Love Chronicles’

This album is a Sartre influenced ‘train of thought’ and ’emotionally honest’ account of Al Stewarts life over a certain period of his life.

The title track is a 15 minute epic about every girl he has ever loved up to the time of the record. Full of amazing lyrical couplets and beautiful narrative tales.

Al Stewart with this album and with some of his later historical albums just shows this incredible talent for stories and pictures. We find this pushes you to realise how good these things can be.

The band is made up of some of the best musicians from the folk rock bands of the time and is recorded so warm and full.

Guitars are amazing ’60s answers to the vocal lines. This album really affects you and we find it draws you into a place with a wistful air of loneliness.

David Bowie ‘Low’

This record is just amazing. The sounds are so different and powerful, the vocals seem deadpan in places and operatic in emotion in others, Low is full of surprises and really plays with the album formula. Pop music at its best.

Probably influenced every guitar sound and drum sound we have ever done!

Hatcham Social’s single Lois Lane is out now through Fierce Panda.