Hard Fi - Once Upon A Time In The West - Tiscali Music Reviews

9th September 2007

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In what seemed a matter of months Hard-Fi had shapeshifted from indie chancers into one of Britain's biggest bands. Their first major tour sold out in a record 15 minutes and saw them play London's Brixton Academy for 5 consecutive nights - making them one of the few bands to do so alongside The Clash, Bob Dylan & The Prodigy - plus the only act to do it with their debut album.

Nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize and Best British Group at the 2006 BRITs after the debut, the band are back with sophomore release, 'Once Upon A Time In The West'.

Standout tracks include the 70's SKA-inspired 'We Need Love', and 'Tonight'. "The latter is a big piano-driven number - it had a few incarnations before it became what it is, but it's about the possibility of night time. History is made at night." Meanwhile, the former harks back to the Specials and was inspired by Billy Bragg's acclaimed novella 'The Progressive Patriot'.

Other highlights include the rousing R&B swagger of 'Can't Get Along' with its stomping Motown lilt, the stark fragility of 'Help Me Please' - a track written about the death of Richard’s mother - plus, 'I Shall Overcome' which echoes an early Clash while remaining truly, unmistakably Hard-Fi, and the lead single 'Suburban Knights'.