Following on from the success of their debut top 5 album, The State of Things, and universally criticised side project Mongrel, Jon McClure returns to the fold under his more familiar moniker of “The Reverend” ably accompanied by The Makers, with their second album “A French Kiss In Chaos”.

Twelve months ago you could be forgiven for thinking that this album might never happen. McClure came to fisty-cuffs with other members of the band, and then claimed the band was no more, insisting he was to return to native Sheffield to become a “pedal taxi driver”. Unfortunately he later came to his senses and realised a much more lucrative career remained in producing mediocre music…

Following up the success of their debut album and top-twenty singles, “Heavyweight Champion of The World” and “He Said He Loved Me”, would take some doing. It would seem appearing from obscurity, riding on the coat-tails of the Arctic Monkeys’ time in the lime-light, McClure and Co. managed to create two of the “sing-a-long” anthems of 2007.

This is where we pick up with “A French Kiss In Chaos”. Album opener and first single lifted from the record, “Silence Is Talking”, sees the band lift a sample from 1976 top-twenty hit “Low Rider” by War, all-in-all a good opener, a more positive, driving sound than that found on the band’s debut. You almost find yourself reminiscing of early 90s “Madchester” at times, which is no bad thing by any account and sets up some genuine promise for the rest of the record.

It doesn’t take long to identify my own personal highlight from the album; the instantly catchy “Hidden Persuaders” sees a combination of Coral-esque jangly guitars and the now familiar brass sound that seems ever present on the Reverend’s material. As the record goes on, you can hear that McClure has developed from the drawl of a spoken-word front man and matured into his own distinctive craft as a vocalist.

Unfortunately, the trend doesn’t carry, as the record goes on it does seem to dwindle back to the all familiar “electro-indie” that was ever present on the first album. The slow tracks found on the album, in particular “Long Long Time” end up sounding more like poor written-off Oasis b-sides, and that seems to be the downfall throughout the album.

A happy medium can be found on “Mermaids” which despite a slow start builds to a surprisingly infectious chorus. Album closer “Hard Time For Dreamers” could be the album highlight but is let down by poor arrangement and the ever familiar faux-political dross that inhabited the first album.

Although the first half of the album is clearly much stronger, it’s a step in the right direction. Whereas their first album had a couple of catchy singles, they were far too masked by McClure’s own intentions to change the world and his own political propaganda. This record seems a much more complete package, and although unlikely to find the success of the debut, it has restored my faith in the fact that McClure is now more committed to music than crafting himself a career in politics…or pedal taxi driving!