When The Ordinary Boys released their debut album, it seemed they were on the perfect career path – initial critical kudos plus an endorsement from Morrissey, which looked as though it would lead to commercial success. Somewhere around their second album, however, the wheels came off.
The more Preston experienced, the less he seemed to have to say and the record disappeared, taking their record deal with it. That seemed to be the end of the story, except of course that Preston emerged from a black limo one night, walked into a house and resurrected his career. Crucially (and admirably) he’s also taken The Ordinary Boys with him. If he was struggling for inspiration before, then on this – their third album in three years – he certainly has bags to write about.
Songs titles like ‘Lonely At The Top’, ‘Great Big Rip Off’ and ‘The Higher The Highs’ tell the whole story. This is one of those dreaded ‘life in the public eye’ records and we have a right to be particularly worried at the outcome. Actually it isn’t bad. The whinging is kept to a minimum and, even when he’s less than enamoured of the whole process, the music keeps things bouncing along.
The Ordinary Boys are no longer the raw and ready proposition they once were. Instead they are polished and buffed for mass consumption. How To Get Everything You Ever Wanted In Ten Easy Steps is as much a pop album as anything else and its best moments are the ones aimed squarely at the charts. ‘Lonely At The Top’ is cool and funky, while ‘Nine2Five’ is a magnificent example of where they could take it next. What Morrissey (or indeed those who saw them as a Jam for the new millennium) will make of it is anybody’s guess. If a fluke of reality TV gave them a lifeline, they’re definitely trying to wrestle control of their own destiny.