by Andrew Lewis

I won’t lie – Sandra’s Wedding isn’t the kind of band name that is going to draw your attention. And evidentially, neither is their in-house “marketing strategy”. But luckily for them, I have ears over on the East Riding of Yorkshire. Something about these lads suggests that they want you to think that they don’t take this game too seriously. But, deep down, they honestly do.

Frame Yourself is an LP that deserves to be taken seriously. Any band that can match their overt musical abilities with beautiful poetry and melody will always get my attention. And here it’s seemingly effortless. Album opener, Can’t Look At You For Crying, shows off Joseph Hodgson’s Paul Heaton-alike voice, and is the kind of heartbreaker that the big hitters would pay serious money to record. Minus the sarcastic words. Personal favourite, Penguin Joke, is tongue in cheek. They probably never even intended to record it. A song about Saturday’s kids, football hooliganism and street-drugs is the kind of stuff that makes you cringe under normal circumstances – unless you have an unbelievable ability to turn it in to a Neil Hannon-esque saga.

Storytelling through music has almost become a lost art form. Thankfully, we still have bands like Sandra’s Wedding. No Tools Left In This Van Overnight and A Cold Tuesday Night In Stoke is relatable and honest. If you like Gene, Longpigs and Pulp, you are in business.