This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Bristol’s Phelim Byrne and Donnie Hardwidge are anything but egocentric pop stars.
Like the title of their smashing debut disc suggests, the members of charming electro-rock duo Ordinary Man are just average blokes. As are the sad-sack characters who star in their wonderfully twee tales of everyday mundanity — the loneliness of waiting for the last bus after the bar’s closed, the joy of making eyes with the cutie standing in the dole line next to you, the frustration of trying to get along with your gal, and the grind of trying to survive another boring day while daydreaming about being rich and famous. They may be small tales, but they’re wonderfully told in the pair’s crafty, smart lyrics and dry, conversational vocals — and beautifully supported by their stylish soundtrack of lightly funky grooves, simple memories and slightly spacy production. The best way to sum it up? Extraordinary.
