Latest
album of strange and clever pop from our favourite northern emigres.
Having enjoyed previous
albums by The Lancashire Hustlers there was a real sense of
anticipation before putting this latest CD into the player, and as
expected the music didn't disappoint. For those unfamiliar here's a
brief resume – Brent Thorley and Ian Pakes are two northerners
exiled in London who make intelligent, literate adult pop music that
leans heavily on their vocal harmonising and tasteful song-supporting
arrangements. They sound like a mash-up of Steely Dan and The Everly
Brothers busking somewhere on the Central Line.
Stuck In A Daydream
is the duo's fifth full-length album. Their previous albums were all
made with a central thread or narrative, the songs connected by a
unifying story or theme. What Made Him Run from 2015 centres
on family relationships and what happens when ambition runs wild,
whereas Adventure (2017) is a globe-straddling cinematic
musical travelogue. On Stuck In A Daydream however they've
freed themselves up from such constructs, allowing each song to stand
on it's own merits.
That said many of the
songs' subject matter deal with a sense of disconnect, displacement
and a gentle yearning. 'Have You Seen My Twin?' may be a song about
the phenomena of womb twin survival. 'Underwater Memories' flips the
gender roles in a story of a mer-man leaving the sea in search of
on-land love. 'Consider Me' is a relatively straightforward love song
but again centres on this need to connect. Similarly 'Been' and 'My
Friend' both deal with issues surrounding separation. And album
closer 'Party Pooper' captures that feeling we've all had when we
feel out of place.
There's more though.
'Art Appreciation' deals with the bafflement and minefield that many
of us feel when trying to er... appreciate art. Then there's the
dreamy instrumental title track and 'Put On A Platform', a mysterious
sphinx of a song with snaking saxophone lines and cryptic lyrics.
As ever with The
Lancashire Hustlers the music is a delight, doesn't beg you to pay
attention with overblown tricks but instead opts for a slow-burning,
ultimately more persuasive low-level charm offensive. Plenty of
hand-held percussion, an array of musical instruments from around the
world, snazzy snatches of fuzz guitar here and neat touches of piano
or Mellotron there. But the jewel in the crown is as ever the
intelligent songcraft and their vocal harmony blend. Stuck In A
Daydream may well be The Lancashire Hustlers' finest release to
date. If you've yet to experience their music it's a great place to
start.
Click here for The
Lancashire Hustlers' website.
Click here for The
Lancashire Hustlers on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment