Lucky Soul - A Coming Of Age

Das Londoner Sextett Lucky Soul veröffentlicht nach "The Great Unwanted" mit "A Coming Of Age" sein zweites Album. Erneut picken sich Sängerin Ali Howard und ihre Jungs gezielt aus den letzten Jahrzehnten musikalischen (und optischen) Vorbilder heraus (60s: Dusty Springfield, The Ronettes, Scott Walker; 70s: Blondie; 80s: The Smiths, New Order; 90s: Saint Etienne, Camera Obscura) und kombinieren deren Sounds, ohne dabei des Plagiats beschuldigt werden zu müssen. Neu ist das nicht, schön schon, auch wenn "A Coming Of Age" nicht eine solch beeindruckende Hit-Dichte aufweist wie der Vorgänger.

Jetzt würde sich sehr gut die Vorstellung des Debüts von The School anschließen...

"White Russian Doll" Video

The 1960s stylings of that instant classic are still present on Ali Howard and Andrew Laidlaw's second effort, but as part of a much wider sonic spectrum that now includes hints of ABBA, Dolly Parton, The Smiths and Blondie. From the irresistible glam-pop stormer "Woah Billy!" to the Sylvia Plath goes to Nashville melancholy of "Love 3", this is the sound of a band switching from black-and-white to colour. One of the albums of the year, hands down.
(independent.co.uk)

"Woah Billy!" Video

The more they push outwards from what The Great Unwanted defined Lucky Soul as, the more they prove they’re so much more than what that implied. It certainly reinforces their ability to craft a pop hook for the ages, and addition to the greater blend of styles, the material also covers a greater emotional spectrum. The charming girlishness of Ali Howard’s presence, which so perfectly captured the spirit of their debut, has matured and grown more experienced on the follow-up with Howard’s stronger voice proving up to the task of expressing those emotions. The best examples of what Lucky Soul are capable of now come at what would logically be the final tracks of sides A and B – the title track and “Could It Be I Don’t Belong Anywhere” – both of which ride sweeping string sections to dramatic effect but stay just on the right side of tasteful, evoking grandeur rather than excess. The latter, in particular, deftly runs the gamut from daydreamy wistfulness to swirling tumult so naturally, you don’t even notice the storm clouds gather until they’re upon you and it does it in under three-and-a-half minutes, providing a remarkable finale to a remarkable record from a most remarkable band.
(chromewaves.net)