Lightning Seeds - See You In The Stars (Album Review)
Friday, 28 October 2022
Written by Graeme Marsh
Photo: Tom Oxley
There’s much to love about Ian Broudie’s Lightning Seeds. He is one of the best British songwriters of his generation, reaching his ‘Dizzy Heights’ in the mid-1990s, and the genius of his band was found in the fact that melodies were everything: Sugar Coated Iceberg, Lucky You, The Life of Riley, the list goes on. Now, 13 years since their last album, 'See You in the Stars’ attempts to keep the goods coming.
Opener Losing You begins like a sped-up version of Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars but relies heavily on Broudie’s melodic prowess before long. Emily Smiles, a track that sees an old collaboration revived with Terry Hall co-writing, is also undeniably catchy as its strings kick in. The aptly named Sunshine, if we’re honest, so many of the band’s songs could be named this, then echoes the unmistakable chirpy parping of old favourite Pure, a track that’s also deliberately recalled on Green Eyes.
In actual fact, Green Eyes serves as more of a parody of Pure than the ‘post-script’ Broudie intended. And this is a trait of ‘See You in the Stars’, with repetitiveness and a hollow feeling from the past surfacing throughout.
Walk Another Mile feels out of place, like it should be consigned to an earlier time, while the title track and Live To Love You fall short, sounding a little tired.
Fit For Purpose fails to live up to its name, being somewhat restrained, and Great To Be Alive is lacklustre, relying on an average chorus although its uplifting vibe, an admirable trait of so much of Broudie’s music, is still present. Permanent Danger, though, is excellent. At first you could be listening to Kurt Vile as a drum machine and reverby guitars set up an enduring melody.
If you weren’t aware of the Lightning Seeds' back catalogue, you may find something to love about ‘See You in the Stars’ during its short running time of just over half an hour. But if you were a big fan back in the day, you may feel disappointed and a quick rattle through their hits will only cement this feeling.
Lightning Seeds Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri October 28 2022 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Sat October 29 2022 - FROME Cheese and Grain
Thu November 03 2022 - SOUTHAMPTON 1865
Fri November 04 2022 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
Sat November 05 2022 - LEEDS Leeds University Stylus
Sun November 06 2022 - GLASGOW Old Fruitmarket
Thu November 10 2022 - BIRMINGHAM Birmingham Town Hall
Fri November 11 2022 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Boiler Shop
Sat November 12 2022 - LIVERPOOL Eventim Olympia
Thu November 17 2022 - BRIGHTON Chalk
Fri November 18 2022 - CARDIFF Tramshed
Sat November 19 2022 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Sat November 26 2022 - SHEFFIELD Leadmill
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