Duninadé is the brand new album by Toupé, recorded in a day at the Ranch Production House just outside Southampton. With the band taking an enforced break due to Karl Evans swanning off to Oz for a year, Grant Sharkey’s focus appears to have been very much on his beloved Chapter One Bookshop. Anyone who is able to read, think and laugh would be spending two minutes very wisely if they were to check out the proprietor’s website, twitter and facebook pages. Better still, pay the man a visit, he’ll afford you a most friendly welcome. Mr Grant Sharkey is always good for a belly laugh.

Toupé’s previous three albums have presumably taken considerably more than a day to record. So does Duninadé suffer because of this? Nope. And is it as good as them? Most definitely – in fact with the exception of the ineffectively mellow ‘The I.S.S’, this is quite simply top notch Toupé. After the brief thumping intro of ‘Out Of Hibernation’, the band’s winningest formula takes over, namely thunderously funky bass & drums and the ability to make the listener smile.

‘Flags’ laughs at nationalism, seeing the world as one or as 6831000000 individuals, all deserving of their own “flippy flappy rag of cloth”. Live, this will be huge, with Jay’s rapid beats only occasionally falling below a speed at which necks are broken. ‘Cpt Obvious’ is a hoot. Starting off as just a song littered with obvious facts – the sun is hot, love is better than hate etc… soon the subject matter’s ante is upped – Scroobious Pip, aids, homosexuality and eventually a message for the Pope – “don’t fuck kids”. See… obvious. ‘Every Star Has Its Exhaust Port’ is funktastic, but as it’s all about Star Wars (episodes IV, V & VI), The Last Starfighter (whatever that is) and Battlestar Galactica, its scientific meaning is totally lost on me.

‘Get A Grip’ is ‘Haircuts’ (off Chat) Part 2, and at maximum lick it rocks like buggery, poking fingers at angry, upset musicians, who drag their parents along to their gigs. Nah, it’s about plenty more than that, miserable fuckers mainly. ‘Plumbo’ is Karl Evans going solo and quite fantastic – slightly more refined, not so bombastic, but with a proper catchy chorus “Some things are better this way / Others need changing day to day”, conjuring up Space Rock images of, I dunno, festivals and Africa. ‘Belly Laughs’ was written for Comic Relief and features some of Southampton’s bestest, namely Science of 8 Limbs, Goober Gun and Thomas Tantrum and is smiles better than ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’ and Hale & Pace’s ‘The Stonk’ combined. Fact.

Right everyone, Duninadé is bloody ace and is yours for FREE. £0. Go to Toupé’s website, click a few buttons and the album is yours within minutes. Those who are humankind are also encouraged to make a donation to either (or both) of these charities – Burma Campaign UK and/or Refuge. Why? Check out the band’s website (and because you’re nice). Better still, download the album, donate as much as your purse allows, then go to see these guys live whilst you can – this Thursday would be ideal – at the Oxjam Fundraiser at O’Neill’s. Good times.

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