{"id":139,"date":"2017-08-16T16:55:38","date_gmt":"2017-08-16T15:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/?p=139"},"modified":"2017-08-16T16:55:38","modified_gmt":"2017-08-16T15:55:38","slug":"album-review-pete-fij-terry-bickers-we-are-millionaires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theacousticeggbox.com\/index.php\/2017\/08\/16\/album-review-pete-fij-terry-bickers-we-are-millionaires\/","title":{"rendered":"ALBUM REVIEW: Pete Fij\/ Terry Bickers – We Are Millionaires (Broadcast Recordings)"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Pete Fij and Terry Bickers are best known as the lead-singer in Adorable and the guitarist in The House Of Love respectively. Both bands had varying degrees of success on the (then) relatively unknown Creation label in the late 80\u2019s and early 90\u2019s and although critically lauded in the press and touted as the next big thing(s), by the mid 90\u2019s both men were treading different musical paths. As Pete Fij\/ Terry Bickers, they first started writing and playing low key gigs together in 2009 although it wasn\u2019t until 2014 that the journey started in earnest\u00a0when they released \u201cBroken Heart Surgery\u201d – their critically acclaimed debut album.<\/p>\n

If it really is true that the greatest source of songwriting material is derived from the pain of a broken love-affair, on the evidence of their deliciously maudlin second LP, \u201cWe Are Millionaires\u201d, these two gents haven\u2019t half been through the wringer! However, despite the melancholic tone that Fij\u2019s careworn vocal style sets, the melodies throughout are beautiful, and despite their downbeat nature at times, the superbly crafted lyrics often display plenty of wry, ironic, humour.<\/p>\n

Although it would be difficult to describe any of the songs on \u201cWe Are Millionaires\u201d as happy, there are light moments, notably on album opener \u201cLet\u2019s Get Lost Together\u201d; the Lee Hazlewood channelling, \u201cWaking Up\u201d and also, (eventually!) during the closing track \u201cSometime Soon\u201d in which, over Bickers\u2019 Twin Peaks style twang, a weary Fij declares that \u201ceverything will be OK\u201d. Other highlights include the catchy, string-drenched opening single \u201cLove\u2019s Going To Get You\u201d; the haunting late-night shimmer of the album\u2019s title track; Bond theme in waiting \u201cIf The World Is All We Have\u201d and the poignant \u201cI Love You\u201d, in which Fij pleads \u201cI love you, is it really so hard to say, it doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s not true, just say it to me anyway\u201d.<\/p>\n

The undoubted charm of this fine record lies is in its lush, richly textured arrangements combined with quirky takes on love, loss and redemption \u2013 universal themes that have been given a fresh perspective by these two massively underrated musicians. Fans of Lloyd Cole, Richard Hawley, I Am Kloot, Lee Hazlewood, The Libertines et al will find much to love here, although if there was any justice in the world, Pete Fij and Terry Bickers would already be on that list.<\/p>\n