Irene
Apple Bay
Labrador
Self piteous, at times pathetic, insipid guff. Irene passed by HQ first time around, and while it was not obvious then, it sure is now on second album serving. Irene was a dinner lady. She wore thick tan tights, and a swirl pattern apron. She made drab pies and runny custard and everyone was obliged to like it. This is cousin Irene, but on record. Sometimes there is cabaret about the songs; it's the skipping/hop-scotch brigade-pat-a-cake of tweeness, blended with horrific language pronunciation. The linguistic delivery almost as bad as Billie the Vision and the Dancers, yet those guys have a positive message and a clear canvas to it all - this is simply weak. About as good as it get is all trumpets and doo-doo-doo's on "Little things (that tear us apart)". This is not kitsch cool like the old dinner lady; it is cheesy, and bad.
- Jason Christie