THE BITTER SPRINGS

The Odd Shower TINY GLOBAL 8/10

Middlesex pistols: west London wonders break cover

Forever on the outskirts, Vic Godard cohorts The Bitter Springs have been making powerful, affecting records from the hinterlands of west London for over three decades, Simon Rivers’ position as one of Britain’s most acute lyricists still largely unacknowledged. A Flanagan and Allen take on punk, their first LP in four years does the funny/ sad thing with merciless efficiency, the late-night brawlers on “Girls In FITS” and concerned parents of the title track accorded just the right doses of compassion and derision. There’s time for them to be a word-of-mouth sensation yet: pass it on.