The 1985 Listening Post - The Farmers Boys - With These Hands

The Farmers Boys - With These Hands

#96

March 1985

The Farmers Boys

With These Hands

Genre: Jangle pop

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Phew Wow

If you forced The Lettermen to become a jangle pop band I bet the opening track is what they would sound like. Effervescent, poppy, sunny, happy, sweet. 

And the gentle pop just continues throughout. It’s a bit thin gruel, however, so it becomes somewhat forgettable. On “Sport of All” I get the distinct sense of what Morrissey would sound like if he sang actual, you know, songs. 

The trouble here is that they lead off with their best track, “In The Country” and that’s a Cliff Richard song and their best song, “Phew Wow” is actually better, just as bubbly and should’ve been a hit. 

Otherwise they are Pop Smiths. But not popsmiths. Knowdamean?

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