Cornershop
Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast
(Ample Play Recordings)

I’ve been curious as to what Cornershop has been up to ever since they released 1997’s When I Was Born for the 7th Time, aka the album that produced the pop gem “Brimful of Asha.” While other albums have come and gone, Cornershop is back with their fifth album Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast, a break from the techno scene of past albums which may have kept them off the radar.

This album seems to be a return to the care-free sounds of psychedelic, gospel pop that fans ingested over a decade ago. Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast feels like a mix of 70s disco beats, 90s bass lines and 60s surf rock. The title track actually reminded me of old-school Pink Floyd, ala the “See Emily Play” era. Yet this doesn’t last. “Shut Southall Down” starts off with beats reminiscent of Eric Burdon’s “Spill the Wine,” then irks into sounds of “90s funk,” which is a genre that I had already placed Cornershop into years ago.

A cover of “The Mighty Quinn” might be noteworthy if it wasn’t covered by so many bands before, and “Turned on Truth,” like many tracks on this album, has a deceivingly cool title but doesn’t quite deliver musically.

The best track off the album is “Free Love,” which incorporates cool bass-lines with non-English lyrics, and does have the staying power to get stuck in your head. “Roll off Characteristics” seems to contain the message of not believing your history books, but the repeating chorus and music itself will not have you thinking outside the box.

In fact, the main characteristic of Cornershop seems to be producing music that you can bob your head to, but not have to think about. For that reason, some may thoroughly enjoy Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast, while I guarantee others will be just plain annoyed.