Spector - Here Come the Early Nights (Album Review)
Thursday, 07 December 2023
Written by Katie Macbeth
On ‘Here Come The Early Nights’ Spector pull off a difficult trick — they stay true to who they are while moving on, displaying fresh perspective from within the same fizzing indie songs that made them big fish in the UK indie scene of the early 2010s, alongside bands such as Peace, JAWS and Swim Deep.
Hot on the heels of their first LP in more than half a decade — 2022’s ‘Now or Whenever’ — here the band pay homage to musical legends old and new while keeping their own flame alive. The album’s centrepiece is its title track, where Fred Macpherson defies popular trends to pen a love letter to ageing gracefully, offering a moment of reflection for indie heads who have stuck by the band through it all.
Elsewhere, ‘Here Come The Early Nights’ finds Spector moving away from their stories of partying in London to discuss climate change, toxic masculinity, and the vagaries of modern society across 10 accomplished tracks.
Opener The Notion showcases Macpherson’s clever and introspective lyrics as he reflects on the past and accepts its unpredictability. A joyous yet sombre track, it takes place over several parties, accompanied by captivating guitar work and graceful drums from Nicolas Py.
A play on Chris Rea’s Driving Home For Christmas, Driving Home For Halloween is described by the band as being what the Goosebumps books would sound like “if they were romance novels”. Built for spooky season, the track explores the feelings felt when meeting an ex’s new partner, with bassist Jennifer Sanin closing proceedings by screaming over guitarist Jed Cullen’s riff.
Some People is a standout, exploring imaginary phone calls with friends who don’t answer. Macpherson’s nostalgic vocal delivery drives the song’s sense of urgency and empathy, and although it has a familiar Spector feel, it remains rooted in the present.
Never Have Before is brutally honest, arriving doused in melancholy and anxiety over life and death. Here Spector acknowledge the difficulties faced when trying to survive in music, and the song is neatly juxtaposed with Another Life, the most upbeat track on the record but, with its washes of acoustic guitar, perhaps also the most outwardly mature.
‘Here Come The Early Nights’ is Spector sticking to what they’re good at while paying tribute to those who have inspired them and passing the baton to whoever comes next. It’s an intriguing chapter in their story, suggesting the band will make for interesting, thoughtful elder statespeople.
Spector Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue December 12 2023 - NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
Wed December 13 2023 - SOUTHAMPTON Joiners
Thu December 14 2023 - LONDON Electric Brixton
Fri December 15 2023 - MANCHESTER Canvas
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