Having made mention of The Martial Arts on a recent blog and Paul Kelly’s welcome return with 4 glorious tracks on the I Use to be… EP, it would be remiss of me not to feature another stalwart of the Scottish indie-pop scene.
Bubblegum Lemonade
So, here’s to the multi-talented Laz McCluskey of Bubblegum Lemonade fame. It has now been several months since the band’s latest album Desperately Seeking Sunshine landed, but on the evidence of the 12 sun-kissed tracks on offer here, you don’t have too far to look. And thankfully the cantankerous Madonna is nowhere to be seen.
Laz has hit a fruitful vein of creativity on this, his latest release in a long line on the Matinee Recordings label. A prolific talent and an incredibly nice bloke. You never know what talents are lurking under the surface of the stripy t-shirted parents you congregate with at the school gates, suffice to say, it is good to talk to people with a similar penchant for the horizontal stripes. Plus, you get your albums hand-delivered at no extra cost…
Desperately Seeking Sunshine
Desperately Seeking Sunshine is a microcosm of the history of indie-pop. There is a bit of something for everyone here. Shame on you if listening to this album doesn’t bring a smile to your face, be it for the effervescent jangly C86 guitars, the cleverly created lyrics and off the wall observations or for the sumptuous melodies and harmonies.
Mellifluous Jangly Guitar Pop
The album references much that is great and good about the history of mellifluous jangly guitar pop music. From the 1960’s harmonious folky rock of The Byrds, to early-era Stone Roses swagger on Just an Album Track, with its shrewd lyrical observations and witticisms, taking in Postcard-era Glasgow, twee whimsical indie-pop, and the C86 generation along the way. Laz is a multi-talented musician, the instrumentation and arrangement throughout this album is a faultless joy to behold. From the deliciously rich 12-string Rickenbacker, through an array of concordant strummed and twanged guitars, through to the three-part harmonies and backing vocals ably provided by Sandra there is much to explore and delight.
Jocose Playful Observations
The music is only half the story though, take time to relish in his clever lyrical arrangements throughout. Puckish commentaries on the world, final track on the album What Have You Done For Me Lately? is a case in point, jocose playful observations on life, She Only Smiles for You, and featuring many musical references throughout, none more so than on the likes of Girls in the Song and You Don’t Like Music.
All told, a well-rounded album with a bit of everything to help soundtrack your summer. Come on Laz, just what have you done for me lately?