Best Bets

***BEST BETS are a power pop band from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Formed by OLLY CRAWFORD ELLIS and JAMES HARDING (TRANSITORS), they released their first EP, Life Under the Big Top, in 2018, with James’ brother LUKE and MATT PHIMMAVANH rounding out the lineup. JOE SAMPSON (SALAD BOYS, T54) joined afterwards. Their debut album, On An Unhistoric Night, could perhaps be described as a series of homages; a bunch of ballads, some tearjerkers, with a few earworms thrown in. On An Unhistoric Night talks about New Jack Swing artists who were formerly Olympic athletes; 11th century monarchs; Italian sports cars (and car salesmen); Open Polytechnic ads of the late 90s; Whose Line is it Anyway?; Subbuteo champions and Elvis impersonators. It explores hubris, hopelessness and purpose in life, pop culture detritus and everyday ennui underpinned by humour, guitar heroics and catchy bloody hooks. The album is a hi-fi effort by producer BRIAN FEARY, who notably has worked with a number of excellent Christchurch bands—Wurld Series, Salad Boys and The Dance Asthmatics to name a few. You might like this album if you appreciate bands like The Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, Buzzcocks, Big Star and The Go-Betweens. Pressed on orange vinyl.