The band from Cardiff, Wales has done it again on its fourth album, Sweet Action, a disc full of gorgeous, late ‘80s influenced pop songs with moods ranging from melancholy to hopeful. Lead vocalist Richard Griffiths still has that gentle yet assured voice which will remind listeners of Cherry Twister’s Steve Ward, and his voice becomes especially striking when counterbalanced against Sarah Ellison’s meaty fuzz bass on tracks like “Second Chance” and “The Silver Age.” You can’t help but feel good while listening to the Roy Wood-inspired “High Summer Lovers,” and if “Giving Up On You” has some negative overtones, its bouncy, warm aural countenance will overcome them and bring a sense of serenity. Others, like the title track and the jaunty “We Could Start Over” feature some rather striking chord changes and “The Sun’s Coming Out In Your Eyes” is one of the prettiest, languorous tunes The Afternoons have ever written. Sweet Action is yet another winner from one of the better pop bands in Europe.
--David Bash
