Lodger / Flashbacks

Slumberland

Flashbacks by Leeds' The Lodger was recorded in Autumn 2009 onto tape at Hall Place Studios by local genius and sociable recluse Richard Formby (who had just finished Wild Beast's critically acclaimed Two Dancers and back in the day played guitar on Recurring by Spacemen 3). Formby kept Ben Siddall (vocals, guitar) fed throughout with Ennio Morricone compilations and obscure Bryan McLean LPs while Joe Margetts (bass) and Bruce Renshaw (drums) read old copies of Uncut and played with the vintage analog toys. The new album continues the lyrical themes that informed the first two, including love, loss of innocence and memories of adolescence, fused with The Lodger's trademark upbeat melodies, jangly jazz chords, bouncing basslines and energetic drums, but with the addition of new textures and a more straightforward approach to recording, as Siddall recalls: "I'd had conversations with many friends about the pros and cons of editing the heck out of recordings to clear the mistakes that musicians make and computer trickery in general, and I decided to adopt an approach where everything had to be real. Real strings and horns, untuned vocals, etc." All he had to do now was get down to the small matter of actually writing some new songs. "Every time I was in my girlfriend's car driving somewhere, we kept listening to the magnificent first Left Banke album and I started getting a bit fixated with the idea of doing something with orchestral instruments and actually trying to dot it all out on manuscript myself. Not a baroque-pop soundalike necessarily but something that embraced classical music within pop. A challenge." With Mr. Formby's firm hand on the tiller all went according to plan and the result is Flashbacks. A bold step forward from 2008's well-received Life Is Sweet, this excellent album is simply a must-hear for fans of smart, soulful guitar pop. Touching on crucial references like The Jam, Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, The Lodger has created something at once familiar and totally new. Fueled by Siddall's songwriting vision and the band's creative energy, Flashbacks is an ambitious addition to the classic pop canon.

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