A guitarless trio in the age of guitar-rock? Well, how hard can it be when you come from the positively bristling music scene which is "New Yorkshire"? Off the back of debut album "Breaking Up", The Research release 2-minute soundtrack-to-your-summer, "The Hard Times".
I always used to maintain, in the face of teary sissies on their knees at the sound of The Verve's "The Drugs Don't Work", that making a song that makes people feel sad is easy and that the ones which make you smile like a giddy child are the ones which really take something. Well I take that back now because they are also ten-a-penny. Not to say that I don't like them, I just don't like the fuss about them (e.g. The Feeling's "Fill My Little World")
And so we have "The Hard Times". Sounding like a more care-free The Thrills with a more toe-tapping feel, it really is a great song with an interesting keyboard melody and lovely harmonies which instantly paste a big smile on your face. At the time of review I have no idea what the B-side is and therefore am in no position to comment on it. The B-side notwithstanding, this is a great single which SHOULD put The Research where they deserve to be in today's musical hierarchy. For more information you can visit: http://www.theresearchgopop.com
