More on: The Lodger

Label: Bad Sneakers
Release Date: 19/05/08
Rating:

Leeds pop trio The Lodger are back after their critically successful debut 'Grown-Ups' armed with a fresh batch of self-pity for the past, hope for the future and disdain for the present. All three sit uncomfortably in a bright but cramped Yorkshire bedsit, squaring up to each other at the mere mention of a love interest. There are nods to more than a few British bands, the biggest influence probably coming from The Smiths, from whom they take their ability to discreetly balance the positive with the glum.

We're brought in on a wave of optimism in the form of 'My Finest Hour', which leads in nicely with its saccharin sweet chorus and acoustic breakdowns. "You always were a fake, superficial" is an apt lyric for the proceedings to follow - The Lodger sing from the heart on most occasions.

'The Good Old Days' is possibly the happiest, catchiest music you'll hear anywhere, with a jangly electric guitar and a rolling bassline that seems to echo The Long Blondes' disco-fuelled 'Guilt' or a plethora of Cribs songs. Ben Siddall hits the high notes for the chorus, which is a welcome feat - for the rest of the album his sometimes monotone voice possesses the ability to suck life from certain songs. It works fantastically for the largest part though, and there are only a couple of occasions where Siddall comes off like an over-cooked Morrissey. 'Honey' is the prime example - the drone will reach out from the speakers, gently close your eyes and beckon you into a deep sleep.

'The Conversation' slips along swiftly with moody acoustic guitar, and represents the point when Bruce Renshaw's application of varied drumming may be acknowledged as one of the reasons each song on 'Life Is Sweet' carries a different momentum than its predecessor. 'A Year Since Last Summer' is a tale of drifting friends wrapped up in a big bag of handclaps and sunny acoustic guitars and 'Running Low', unsurprisingly, is the bleakest song on offer but also presents the best chorus amongst the eleven tracks. 'Famous Last Words' seals everything up: a gentle, ambling track culminating in a long instrumental that swaggers from side to side from the melancholy placed upon its shoulders.

Musically it is difficult to fault 'Life Is Sweet'. With only three members, The Lodger make every note count, and it isn't often that two songs blend into each other. Depending on your tolerance, there will undoubtedly be times when Siddall's vocals seem flat and uninspired, but never so much that they have a severe lasting effect on the overall sound. If desolation-tinted guitar pop with a focus on missed opportunities and insecurity is your thing (or similarly you have a thought-process like Mark from Peep Show), you'll savour every moment.

Graham Drummond

The Lodger Official Site
The Lodger Myspace