Lightships – Gerard Love of Teenage Fanclub’s new project – couldn’t be more aptly named. It perfectly describes the sound; spacious, drifting and ideal for losing yourself in. Needless to say, I was one of many who were excited to give the album a listen, after finding out not only would it be a full album of Love’s songs, but he had roped in Dave McGowan and Brendan O’Hare (Teenage Fanclub), Tom Crossley (The Pastels) and Bob Kildea (Belle & Sebastian) to help him out.
Electric Cables is a fantastic mix of light and airy instrumentals and floating vocals, creating an atmospheric sound that is distinguished and unique. The ten-track album’s main focus is on slow but perfectly assembled sounds, with Tom Crossley’s flute and Love’s vocals playing the main parts. Beginning with ‘Two Lines’, it has a twinkling understated melody and gentle guitar riffs to let you know what you’re in for.
The rest of the album follows in the same vein, with a few prominent tracks – ‘Muddy Rivers’, ‘Silver & Gold’ and ‘The Warmth of the Sun’ being personal favourites. ‘Muddy Rivers’ stands out for its simmering drums throughout, setting a base for Love’s floating vocals, while ‘Silver & Gold’ is somewhat different. The vocals are well written, and sung with such energy yet still maintaining the delicate sound needed to balance seamlessly with the mellow guitar and drifting percussion that enters the track. ‘The Warmth of the Sun’ differs again and offers a more folksy element to the album, with a lot of flute and slow, drifting rhythms.
Lovely music, by lovely people, is the best I can describe it. Spacious, airy, and expertly put together: layering flute over guitar and drums with vocals flowing nicely in between it all. All that’s needed now is a comfy chair, a Sunday morning and a wee bit of sunshine. Perfect.
