Album Review: The Bablers — Like the First Time
The luxurious pop rock of The Bablers is held in great esteem here at Musoscribe World HQ. The chiming guitars, tasty and supremely catchy guitar licks, the creamy vocal harmonies and memorable melodies (oh, and thoughtful arrangements) all add up to some of the best music of its kind. Their 2021 album Psychadilly Circus is a fave.
As it happens, The band made an earlier record, 1998’s Like the First Time. Long out of print, it’s newly reissued by Big Stir. All of the virtues of their more recent album – including Arto Tamminen’s eerily Lennonesque vocal character – are on brilliant display here. Subtlety and rockingness coexist comfortably. “Together Forever” sounds like a Double Fantasy outtake – no; strike that: it’s too good to have been an outtake. The peppy melody of “One of those Dreams” would have fit nicely on the soundtrack of A Hard Day’s Night. “Sometimes” has a character reminiscent of George Harrison’s Living in the Material World-era work.
Don’t let the Beatles-related references give the impression that The Bablers are Fab copyists; my sense isn’t that they’re aiming for a Merseybeat-ish vibe, but that the influence is simply baked into their musical DNA. “Thinking of You” combines a Peter Gunn theme lick with British Invasion flavors. “Mr. King” shows that The Bablers can effortlessly pivot to country-influenced balladry. “That Little Something” conjures an early ‘70s, AM Gold, Gilbert O’Sullivan meets Gerry Rafferty kind of feel.
The albums unfolds to reveal gem after gem, and the quality never ebbs. The deeply melancholy “Where the Wind Blows Free” takes its time to develop, but it’s worth the wait. It’s a perfect set-ender. Here’s hoping that the reissue of this nearly-overlooked classic is a stopgap measure to keep us occupied wile The Bablers craft yet another winning record. I’ll be waiting with anticipation.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day for several years). The more than 5000 interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- some 40 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.