‘I just want to have another sing song. Just like the ones I knew before’ — so says one of the tracks on 1986, the latest album by The Normals, writes Simon Ward

The song harks back to the formative days of the band, a time when the they were not a band to speak of but a loose collection of friends playing acoustic covers in and around Walkhampton.

Their venue of choice, paid and unpaid, was the Walkhampton Inn. On various nights, the Walky, as it’s affectionately known, might see James Hills (guitarist and lead singer) jamming away with Tom Chesbrough (bassist now, guitarist and vocal support then) competing to be heard beside Chris Spreadbury playing whatever brass instrument came to hand.

More than a decade later, James, Chris and Tom are just a part of the five-piece band. They’ve been joined by Lauren Carrol on trumpet and Jon Payne, a drummer found languishing on Gumtree.

Like ’Sing Song’, many of the cuts on 1986 are deeply personal. The eponymous track is collection of James’ early memories, flashbacks to Fraggle Rock, Airtex vests, the latest Casio and a Duncan Firewheel, aspects of a childhood filled with wonder and amazement.

’Hey You’ was written in anticipation of James’ first child, a song bursting with love and enthusiasm for a life to come, while ’Wash My Beard’ talks, naturally enough, of facial hair and necessary personal hygiene.

Other tracks relate to the wider world. ’No More War’ is, as it suggests, an anti-war rant, a cut filled with passion and vicious overdubs. In contrast, ’Take The Blame’ concerns the various adventures of Tyrion Lannister, the vertically challenged hero of Game of Thrones — the song contains spoilers up to season three.

For the sixth year in a row, a rare honour, The Normals will be playing the Looe Music Festival, appearing on stage on Friday night and out on the streets, aboard a boat and atop the van over the weekend.

Before then, on September 8, they’ll be appearing at The Wharf in Tavistock where they’ll be showcasing their album alongside many self-penned favourites and a few ‘Normalised’ covers. Their last Wharf gig was a riotous affair and this one should be better.

If you’ve already seen the band, you’ll know what to expect, but if you haven’t, and you have a taste for brass-fuelled ska, put the date in your diary.