A week’s a long time in football, and like dog years, in music-reviewing time a day is the equivalent.
While Naturaliste drew analogies to a tired, lacklustre football performance, this follow-up sees the band burst back on to the field with much-needed enthusiasm and zip, suggesting perhaps we’d experienced merely a Hiccup in our Happiness.
Horns are blown, babababas abound and I feel much…well…warmer.
The first three tracks on this album kick goals with welcome energy. Sure there is less experimentation, but I don’t mind. I’ve become the fan who wants to see the same old routines.
Well, I do for the first half. But by the time we’re done bragging about knowing folks in San Francisco, I’m starting to get a little restless again.
After the (very delightful) twee² of Sunlight in a Jar, my teeth are starting to ache from excessive sweetness, and I yawn distractedly through the subsequent five tracks.
When all looks lost, up pops a closing track that ticks most of the ‘should hate this’ boxes (under-structured, no chorus, indulgent phrasing, glowing references to hipsters at parties with tattoos), but which I find mesmerising – Fiction. As a final instalment to my extensive Lucksmiths odyssey (I didn’t buy their last two albums) it is a wonderful surprise twist in the tale:
File under: Thanks for the warm fuzziness
You should buy their last album -_-