The Yorkshire band The Lodger made angular indie-pop with flashes of C86 stuff. Each of the group's releases, on esteemed labels like Slumberland Records and Elefant, felt like a little gem that needed to be heard by far more people. This week sees the release of Cul-de-Sac of Love via We Were Never Being Boring and, again, it seems like this outfit's music deserves a little hype.
Lots of what's here, like "Black and White", feels familiar, Ben Siddall's endearing vocals anchoring the spry guitar-rock, while, like on "I Think I'll Start Again", things almost go into the kind of territory occupied by early Sarah Records bands. There are risks taken here, however, and in most cases the rewards are reaped. "Stop That Girl!" reminded me a bit of Spearmint and that's meant as a huge compliment, while "I'm Over This (Get Over This)" strikes out for a similar vibe, though a funkier one. That cut didn't entirely work for me but that's a minor point considering how good most of this record is. I mean, "Perfect Fit" has a hook to kill for, a gorgeous, climbing melodic-line making this an absolute masterpiece of a cut. Lots of Cul-de-Sac of Love is in the same neighborhood and, for anyone who's heard any of this group's earlier work, this album is highly recommended.
Cul-de-Sac of Love is out on Friday via We Were Never Boring.
More details on The Lodger via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: The Lodger Facebook page]