THE OUSE VALLEY SINGLES CLUB
The Pub’s To Big Without You.

September 2016 saw the Bedford Esquires launch party for The Pub’s To Big For You. It’s the latest album from The Ouse Valley Singles Club. The venue was packed and sold out. A fitting tribute to a band, who have over the past few years developed quite a loyal following on this album and throughout its 33 minutes and 11 seconds, it serves up plenty of filth and fun, all delivered with a cheeky slant. A bewildering collage of musical styles, it takes its listeners on a journey through the bowels of everyday life and people. It ultimately steers you towards the conclusion that there’s nowt so queer as folk!
Beneath all the sometimes x rated wry humour, there is a masterful band of musicians at play. With all the various musical juices flying around, it’s easy to overlook just how good these collection of songs really are. The Ouse Valley Singles Club make for such a refreshingly welcome change from the many sanitised and squeaky clean lyrics offered up by so many local bands. O.V.S.C. take a risk, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s good at times to poke fun and gently jolt people from the norm. There are plenty of killer lines on this album of eleven tracks. The Ouse Valley Singles Club originally formed back in 2009, but it was when the family firm of Tim Barron, (bangolele, lead vocals) Amy Martell (bass guitar, vocals) and ‘uncle’ Sam Saunders (washboard, vocals) were united, that they really began to take off on this album and in live shows, they have recently been joined by Neil Whittington (lead guitar) and ‘slim’ Jim Morton (drums). ‘Uncle’ Sam once described the band as “A piece of theatre intertwined with dialog and music” now they seem a complete unit.

The album opens with From Rushden With Love . Musically it has a 1930’s Parisian swing flavour. Wordsmith Mr. Barron explains that this Northants town is “Where the ladies move to when they get divorced.” He adds that “It’s just up the A6.” And “The property prices are way much cheaper.” This single mum described in the song – “Classy, as her tattoos were spelt correctly!”

It’s a sign of things to come as it is followed by Something Ain't Right . This has a fast tempo and is ever so ‘rude’. Its motto is clear, be very careful at home with what you watch. Tales of a ‘gangbang’ are interspersed with whoops of joy from the rest of the bandmembers.

Invariably at some point of the year most males will suffer from Man Flu . This song is sung with a totally tropical calypso lilt. ‘Uncle Sam deliciously sings “Sneezing and wheezing,” in response to Tim’s exasperated “Doctor, doctor I feel like I’m dying.” It could be “Ebola or even “Aids?”

What do you like to get up to on a Sunday morning? Well the O.V.S.C. enjoy Carbootin . There’s bound to be “Lots of quality merchandise,” in fact “A 1985 Blue Peter annual” and even something by “Boney M!”

Whatever Happened To The White Middle Class Rasta Offers up some “Irie.” It’s a chance for Sam to come once again adopt a Caribbean voice to reflect on a fella who loved “Carter and the unstoppable sex machine” and “kept ferrets in his bedroom.” While he liked “blowing whistles at parties.” There is a happy ending to this lively tale.

Skiffle dominates the eponymous The Pub’s To Big Without You . This is the reflective story of a best mate “who’s knocking 45 and has met a girl who’s just turned 23.” In the process, “he’s swapped pork pies for kiwi fruit cause their full of vitamin C.” The song title forms the closing part of the lyrics, but please come back Terry.

My favourite track eulogises Bedford town’s greatest asset, ladies and gentleman, please “come take a cruise on the River Great Ouse .” It’s another catchy sing along tune as Tim semi-raps most of the descriptive words. Vivid observational wit, at its best. Sung in almost heart throb ballad style.

School Gate Anxiety is the tale of parents, who do not really have much in common with each other, when they meet up daily on the school run.

Delivered with a trained deadpan northern baritone voice, Mr. Barron tells the story of Spunky Dave . This nudge – nudge self explanatory song is about a “prolific stud,” who sells his potent sperm for “£35 a pop!”

With typical O.V.S.C. humour, the following track is ironically entitled I’m Pregnant . It’s a chance for Amy to take on lead vocals and presents a nice contrast. A jaunty folk song sung with an Irish favour, she concedes that “my husband tries to sympathise but he hasn’t got a clue.”

To finish off we are treated to a very funny song called Girl From The Fens . The opening line is a soft clue to what’s going to follow. It starts with “I love a girl and that is that she comes from the East where the land is flat. Sung in a slightly Alex Turner’s 2006 way, the lyrics are spat out fast and furiously such as, “ Cause her cousin is her uncle and he is married to her mum.” Further details emerge, “She’s got two strong arms and webbed toes” but “her extra not sure how this song goes down live when it is played in rural Cambridgeshire and the “carrot topping” area. “at six years old she learned how to drive a tractor” and “at eight she plucked turkeys” offers up more surreal silliness. It’s a saucy, cheeky ditty of which Bedfordians will laugh and like with a rapid constant skiffle sound permeating through this album, the lyrics are very much for broadminded people, who perhaps don’t take things too seriously if you do, you might be offended by its content. This is one to have a laugh with, cheers to The Ouse Valley Singles Club!

This quirky album is beautifully packaged and was recorded and produced by Ru Cook at the excellent Lost Boys studio in Bedfordshire. All tracks were recorded there except for Girl From The Fens which was handled by Greg Stephenson at The Perry Road studios Cambridge. The cover was photographed by Esquires regular photographer Mr. Neil McCarty as was the action shots in the inlet.

Review by Martin Stapleton. www.bedfordalternativemusic.co.uk