Good Living Is Coming For you. Sweeping Promises

It's like I'm listening to (the reincarnation of?) Josée van Iersel and Meike Touw, the two background singers, the Grupettes, of Gruppo Sportivo in the second half of the 1970s. Sweeping Promises singer Lira Mondal seems to combine both Josée's and Meike's voice into one. She has that enormous enthusiasm, phrasing and shrillness within her. The duo, the other half is Caulfield Schnug, musically is not that far from what Gruppo did at the time. Enter The B-52's as well, but Gruppo was there first. Listening for example to 'Eraser' or the chorus of 'Throw The Dice' and then to 'Beep Beep Love' or 'Superman'.

In other words, Good Living Is Coming For You, intriguing title as if a good living is a thing to be scared of, is an album full of bouncy songs with a lot of surprises in them, but without moving towards the pastiche, like Gruppo did or gimmick that The B-52's certainly can be accused of, at first. Sweeping Promises skates with ease on the good side of the lane dividing material.

The album is the band's second after 'Hunger For A Way Out' (2020). Self-produced and recorded in their home town Lawrence, Kansas. The sound is close to lo-fi and elementary. Where arrangements are concerned the duo moves way beyond the duo line up. No guitar (or bass) - drums here. We hear guitar overdubs and keyboards but also other instruments. The duo will need many more people on stage, if the ambition is to recreate the album live. By the way, Mandel plays bass and Schnug guitar and drums.

Where energy and quality are concerned Good Living Is Coming For You is on my good side. Don't expect many new vantage points where alternative, slightly punky new wave rock music is concerned. Sweeping Promises travels on well-travelled roads. The fun to be had, makes the trip more than worthwhile. Mondal and Schnug have successfully tapped into the past and came up with a nice and good record that I listen to with a smile on my face. Who knows, they may even have heard 'Ten Mistakes' or 'Back To 78'?!