ALBUM OF THE MONTH: LUST AND LEARN
BY THE SLOW SHOW
The Slow Show may not sound much different
from your standard indie pop fare at first blush;
the pensive piano, the seamless song transitions,
the carefully construed melodic build-ups. But
once you’re lulled into a false sense of security,
vocalist Rob Goodwin crashes into life with his
gloriously croaky, outlandish baritone and
nothing is ever the same again. Brooding, spine-
tinglingly raspy and ripe, his vocals are so
eccentric that you’d be forgiven for thinking that Goodwin had some rare (but
brilliantly fortuitous) voice disorder that made him sound this way.
But the surprises don’t end there. Lust and Learn is a panoply of unusual,
thoughtful touches like incorporating an angelic choir acting as a refreshing
contrast to Goodwin’s earthy vocals, going for the soul where his voice reaches for
the groin; or the weirdly nostalgic combos of up-tempo rhythms paired with
melancholy strings that evoke memories of early Noughties’ Moby or Enya. It’s a
one-of-a-kind, deeply atmospheric record, that will demand your time and
attention—but don’t the good ones always do so?
Key tracks: “Eye to Eye”, “Hard to Hide”, “Loser’s Game”
by Eva Mackevic
WATCHING: ONLY FOOLS AND
HORSES I’m watching re-runs,
and I love the way Del,Rodney
and Uncle Albert spark off each
other and help each other
despite their differences.
READING: WELLINGTON: THE IRON
DUKE BY RICHARD HOLMES This book
is a biography of the Duke of Wellington.
It’s great the way Wellington turned a
group of vagabonds into one of the best
armies of the 19th century.
MUSIC
EMAIL YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO [email protected]
ONLINE: SPRINGWATCH BBC
I’ve also been following the
programme via their Twitter
page, @BBCSpringwatch.
I’m passionate about nature
and if I’m not taking photos of
it, I enjoy spending my time
watching it.LISTENING: GEORGE EZRA I really
enjoy his music. You can hear the joy
in his voice when he’s singing and
you can’t help feeling uplifted.READER RADAR: TREVOR PARSONS, HOSPITAL RECEPTIONIST