A World Apart is the second full-length album from Forres based Be Like Pablo – their first in over ten years. Given their location in a small town on the Moray coast, you’d be forgiven for assuming they’d be a trad/folk band. But Be Like Pablo do their own thing, something a little different.
So, what is their thing? Well, they’re sort of Weezer slash Fountains of Wayne: Fountains of Weezer, if you will… Did anyone actually ask for this Scottish power-pop crossover? It’s debatable. And picking at Weezer specifically, there are two opposing sides to the coin here: the early classics vs. the divisive later output. On which side do Be Like Pablo fall? Rivers Cuomo or Rivers!? Oh no!?
Thankfully it’s the former, and A World Apart is simmering with dork rock goodness. These 12 tracks are filled with scuzzy riffs, slick solos, bopping melodies, breezy keys, and (slightly Scottish) slacker vocals that get catchier and catchier on repeated listens. There are no overt rip-offs here, simply satisfying homages to the likes of ‘Buddy Holly’, ‘In The Garage’, ‘Stacy’s Mom’, and even ‘That Thing You Do!’ (the titular track from Tom Hanks’ 1996 film of the same name – fittingly penned by Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger – RIP).
If this Fountains of Weezer idea doesn’t excite you then A World Apart is unlikely to change your mind. But for those pining for the Weezer of old, Be Like Pablo have you covered, and then some.
A World Apart is out now
Photo Credit: Jason Sinclair
