If you take yourself too seriously as a band, you can really set yourself up for a fall. If, like Encyclopedia, you;re all about having a good time and playing with a smile on your face, you can get away with being a bit silly. Hence, the Yeovil boys use of a music sequencer and midi backing tracks a la Nintendo systems of the mid 90s may not be the most groundbreaking of musical adventures since Atom and his Package called it a day, but it’s still a large dose of fun.
While this record has been available for a while, it is being re-released nationwide through Shellshock and I advise you pick it up. It’s one of those CDs that won’t appeal to all, but on a dark Winter’s day this will certainly brighten your day. ‘Emily’ and ‘You Can Say No (But I Hope You Don’t)’ are both cool and kitsch, with singalong hooks aplenty. ‘Young Hearts’, which featured on their last EP, is still a great tune, while ‘I Love U2 (Not the Band)’ and ‘Me and My Guitar’ hint at the band’s tongue-in-cheek humour. It may not be ‘so hot right now’ outside, but crank this on the stereo and it will certainly liven things up.