Once considered the most prolific act in show business, advancing age and declining health has slowed the Purple Merkins recent output to a trickle. Festival Toilets is their first album in 4 years is worth every minute of the wait.
The album opens with what can only be described as the sound of a duck staring intently at a loaf of bread, at first glance it is unclear what role a duck would play in a concept album about Festival Toilets, but the genius of The Purple Merkins reveals itself slowly and after repeated listens the connections because clear and you catch yourself wondering how you failed to miss them initially. Second song up returns to more familair ground with ‘I See Faces In The Porta-loo’, the spacious arrangement giving plenty of room for bass player Gram Boomfoot to show off her impecibly slinky feel.
The album goes from strength to strength culminating in the album centre piece and early nominee for song of year ‘It Feels Like My Toilet Is Flying Laps Around The Festival Site But I Am Reasonably Certain That It Can’t Be’. Many bands have tried their hand at the flying toilet song but few have come as close to capturing the heady blend of panic and exileration that one gets from such an experience.
The Purple Merkins have never been afraid to show their sensitive sides and there is plenty of tenderness on display once again, ‘Baby Can I Buy You One More Vodka So You Will Have The Courage To Use The Mens Toilet And Bypass The Hideous Line For The Girls?’ is a real tear jerker as is ‘I Can Hear You Weeping In The Next Cubicle’.
It is impossibel to pick a highlight from this album, every song is meticiulusly crafted yet somehow still gives the impression that the ‘Merkins are flying by the seat of their good looking pants. A timeless work by masters at the top of their game.
