Oldham’s Inspiral Carpets had a more convincing claim than most to be outsiders in the baggy scene of the early ’90s. Powered by psychedelic organ, their tunes owed more to obscure ’60s garage than anything else. While never attaining Stone Roses-level stardom, the Carpets drifted comfortably in their slipstream until splitting in 1995. Reuniting in 2003, ‘Inspiral Carpets’ is their first album since ‘Devil Hopping’ in 1994 but not much has changed. The sound has clearly dated, and John Cooper Clarke’s guest vocal on ‘Let You Down’ feels phoned in, but uptempo limbshakers ‘You’re So Good For Me’ and ‘Changes’ are as solid as anything they did 20 years ago.
Noel Gardner