Album Review: The Lightning Seeds - "See You In The Stars"

 

The Lightning Seeds always seemed to be one of those bands cursed with being regarded as a great singles band who never really made an all time classic album which is very unfair as they actually managed two very good long players back in their first run in the form of 1995's Jollification and 1997's Dizzy Heights. Providing a more honest heart-on-sleeve counterpoint to the haughty cool of Britpop, they marked Ian Broudie out as a great songwriter with a very keen ear for melody.

See You In The Stars is the first Lightning Seeds album in 13 years (and, to be honest, the first one your correspondent has listened to since 1999's Tilt) and the initial feel here is that this is a much more stripped-down and skeletal sounding band than the one you probably remember from songs like Lucky You and What If. The opening duo of the semi-acoustic lament Losing You and the pared down Emily Smiles still show Broudie's sense of tunesmanship is intact but there's a bit of a back-to-basics feel about the thing which takes a bit of time to get used to. The acoustic led Green Eyes with its stuttering drum machine and chiming trumpets (similar to the ones on Pure) is another odd one with a feel that Broudie is gently reminiscing on his younger days but doing it in his own honest style which actually makes it quite endearing.

The whole sparse approach continues throughout the album (although there's the very occasional hark back to the Lightning Seeds sound of old as well such as on the orchestral pop of Sunshine) but as always what keeps See You In The Stars afloat is Broudie's undeniable knack with a good tune and a gentle singalong melody that could lift even the most miserable of hearts. Great To Be Alive is a case in point with its rolling chorus and chiming vocals creating something genuinely uplifting while the downbeat almost panicky Permanent Danger and the uplifting almost gospel singalong of Walk Another Mile are other highlights.

As I say, this is definitely a bit different from the Lightning Seeds sound you might have got used to over the years but there's something quite genuine and honest about its pared-back approach and it all passes half an hour's worth of listening time perfectly pleasantly.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)