THEE SPIVS are back with their third album in as many years and with "The Crowds and The Sounds" they've honed their canny blend of trad punk, garage punk, post punk, new wave, classic English rock'n'roll and pub rock to create a magnificently varied album. Dare we say, these young men have matured, with Ben Edge proving his worth as an accomplished songwriter. Drawing from a more diverse array of influences, THEE SPIVS have lapped up and reimagined sounds from bands such as THE TELEVISION PERSONALITIES, THE RAMONES and early WIRE. The new album is a natural progression from their critically acclaimed debut "Taped Up" and last year's "Black and White Memories". "The Crowds and The Sounds" is instantly more melodic and you can see additional influences from the very British qualities of THE KINKS. The songs are slowed down and slightly longer in length, with a lot more thought and work in to each one than the furiously fast, punchy numbers from their early records. As with all of their music, THEE SPIVS' new album is deeply rooted in English everyday life. One reoccurring theme is the idea that people talk about the weather in this country as a form of polite conversation and to avoid awkward silences. "Let's Talk About the Weather" was nearly the title track, the verses talk about the madness and terrible things that happen daily in England and the hypocritical nature of people, contrasted by the chorus which comments on how people talk about the weather almost as a way of escaping talking about the things that are really going on around them. The title track "The Crowds and The Sounds" is about walking along the Southbank of the River Thames inspired by THE KINKS' Waterloo Sunset and PJ HARVEY's "The Last Living Rose". The song also sees one of the biggest departures for THEE SPIVS with the addition of a saxophone played by MFC CHICKEN's Spencer Evoy.