Standard Fare/ The Noyelle Beat

Standard Fare
The Noyelle Beat
(Melodic/Thee SPC)

Named after a sign on a bus, Sheffield’s Standard Fare are Emma Kupa, Danny How and Andy Beswick. Purveyors of the finest bouncy, jangly pop songs this side of the Smiths, their songs are full of youthful energy but also have a harder edge that help them stand head and shoulders above their peers. Indeed, their name will possibly turn out to a bit of an albatross around their necks as review after review points out that whatever phrase you choose to describe the band, ‘standard fare’ would not be one of them.
Released jointly by labels Melodic and Sheffield’s excellent Thee SPC, The Noyelle Beat was recorded in a remarkable six days. The result is 13 perfectly crafted songs about love in all its guises (lost, unrequited, from a distance, secret and in the case of ‘Fifteen’, illegal).
‘A Night with a Friend’ is probably my favourite track on the album. Featuring the duelling vocals of Emma and Danny it’s a tale of a night of regret between two friends. Though ’Philadelphia’, a song about love from a distance and ‘Wrong Kind of Trouble’ with Emma giving relationship advice over the kitchen table also stand out.
They have already featured as one of Steve Lamacq’s New Favourite Bands and enjoyed regular air play on a variety of stations. Now Standard Fare continue their assault with an album that is as close to perfection as you could hope for.