The critically acclaimed second album from The Chemistry Set. Artwork by Blanca Viñas.

WHAT THE CRITICS HAD TO SAY....

THE SUNDAY TIMES

"The Psychedelic scientists exquisite English Toytown Acid-Pop songs achieve rare combinations of muscle and melody"

PENNY BLACK MUSIC

"The World is Hollow and I Touched the Sky’ is like something out of the 'Sgt. Pepper', a montage of seductive, sonic moods and palpable textures plus riffs that pop out unexpectedly like a clown from a jack-in-the box.

It goes without saying that the Chemistry Set’s “This Day Will Never Happen Again” is unadulterated magic."

CITYLIFERS

“The UK has a long, illustrious line of gently psychedelic guitar pop bands going right back to the likes of The Moody Blues (you better believe it), through XTC, Shack and The Coral, proponents all of sweet, sweet melodies and lush, pastoral arrangements. The Chemistry Set can – and should – count themselves as part of that line. This Day Will Never Happen Again will sit in your record collection (oh alright, alright…your iTunes) and nestle happily against your Coral, Shack and Love for evermore. What do you mean you don’t have any Coral…”

TERRASCOPE

"It is absolutely criminal that two men this talented aren’t household names and living in the lap of luxury. To help rectify this you should all go out and buy this (or sit at home and point and click at the screen) the moment it comes to your neck of the wood. Seriously good stuff, then, and let’s hope that, in choosing the album title, the boys are being unnecessarily pessimistic and that lightning will strike for them again"

AAA MUSIC

"This Day Will Never Happen Again’ is a collection of beautiful and intelligent songs that are experimental without being pretentious, and well-crafted without being show-offy. An hour this nuanced and detailed, it is an hour well-spent. A treat for fans of tie-die and indie rock equally."

MONDOSONORO

"Surely the members of The Chemistry Set would not mind comparisons with the very prolific stream of pop and psychedelic rock acts that starts with the flirtations of The Beatles with the hypnotic sounds of India, explodes with The Doors and Pink Floyd, reborn with Spacemen 3 and still beating perennially with likes of The Verve and, My Bloody Valentine.

But beyond psychedelia, this is primarily a pop band, a gem of a pop band, where moments of pop magic happen, one after another. Choruses of The Beach Boys, intimate moments and acoustic approach of Simon & Garfunkel, and above all genuine melodies such as the single "She's Taking Me Down ", which forces us to recognise that the return of this band, which began with the neo-psychedelic boom in the eighties should not go unnoticed"

THE SKINNY

“This Day Will Never Happen Again, over an hour of shimmering guitars, cowbell and jangling melodies, a near-perfect fusion of rose-tinted 60s optimism and modern recording mastery. Almost every track offers a new reason to simply enjoy being alive, with particular mention going to Seeing Upside Down, featuring a sublimely fuzz-laden solo that somehow encapsulates all that the album stands for, and the beautifully solemn We Live as we Dream…Alone, a soft ballad melding acoustic folk, middle-eastern instrumentation and lysergic aesthetics to form an angelic mantra. On top of all this, The Chemistry Set are also back on the tour circuit, making it a good day for all who are smitten by this outstanding new chapter”.

BLOG CRITICS

"Confirming the belief that music of this quality just doesn’t date they serve up an album alive with a magical and timeless atmosphere. It shimmers, jangles, and rings within a vibrant kaleidoscope of hypnotically entrancing sound.

Occasional Syd Barrett quirkiness, sits alongside Beatles inspired magnificence, Byrds flavoured Rickenbacker, and splashes of The Stone Roses. Having said that this can only be by The Chemistry Set who, in true alchemist tradition, have taken a sprinkling of each and mixed them together to create something quite extraordinary."

POPISM

"The omnipresent 12-string Rickenbacker jangle, occasional Syd-like quirk, and Beatlesque harmonies overload, will instantly grab B-bands fans attention, but the production and dreamy vocal delivery make the whole thing contemporary enough, for it to be taken seriously enough by moderndaze kids as well. Refering to The Stone Roses would be an easy way out, but with intelligent orchestration and eclectic arrangements, I’d rather go with their Liverpudlian soulmates, Shack"

TASTY FANZINE

"Shall I really start this review with writing about middle-aged men regrouping and doing a good job? Bands that gained some success, became forgotten, but still prove that they are up to their best in creativity? Not only does it sound trite, but also opens Pandora’s box. I probably would write about the fantastic new Wire album, and only drop one line about The Chemistry Set.

But this one is about The Chemistry Set. And it is worth talking about them. The late 80s psych-rock veterans were pricking one’s ears up between ’88 and ‘90, when they received an international fan base with some tapes and releases. The big success, however, was denied, as they gambled for a bigger deal in the business, and loused it up. After a downtime they released the never published LP “Sounds Like Painting” from 1989 in 2008.

With “This Day Will Never Happen Again” The Chemistry Set tries again. Their (pre-)Britpop sounds original, but nostalgic in the same place; The Kinks go hand in hand with Dantalian’s Chariot, Wimple Winch, or The Idle Race, where The Chemistry Set builds bridges to the 90s Britpop revival of Oasis etc. It is so originally retro Britpop and psychedelic rock that it seems fallen out of time. Hence it is a good time to gain new success. With the new Britpop-bark Brother on the horizon, The Chemistry Set’s sound re-establishes their good old days, before the new British wave broke. If these days will happen again, the Chemistry Set could maybe receive their credits this time."