To get the best idea about The Home Guard in the shortest time possible, have a quick listen to the samples of Champagne Socialist (on their first album, A Head of Steam) and Other People (on their follow-up, Forlorn Hope and Glory). The former is a bass-driven indie rocker with a Britpop and synthy new wave feel, whilst the latter is a progressive folk ballad with classical piano, flutes and a heavy guitar section.
These two songs are at opposite ends of The Home Guard's musical spectrum and really demonstrate what they are all about: incorporating as broad a range of moods and styles into their music as possible. You’ll hear elements of indie, progressive rock, Britpop, folk, glam rock, new wave, art rock, and a few more besides - including a brief tribute to Beethoven. As Norwegian music blog Acuvi put it: "An indescribable mix of so many genres of music, so perfectly combined". Does that description put you off? If so, then perhaps The Home Guard's material isn't for you. But if you're not afraid of trying something a bit different, then this is fun music that will make you think, smile, and hopefully tell your friends.
The Home Guard’s main influences include Queen, Jethro Tull, Madness, Sparks, Elvis Colstello, Blur, Van der Graaf Generator and The Beatles, but for a more extensive (and slightly esoteric) list, see their MySpace profile. This musical background leads The Home Guard to sound unmistakably British, right down to the singer's accent (something of a rarity these days). By recording material based on the sort of music that they themselves enjoy, they can happily ignore mainstream trends and focus on the more important things. If any of The Home Guard’s output sounds close to the current musical fashions, rest assured that this is purely coincidental!
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