Lovejoy - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 14 / 11 / 2002

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Review

Lovejoy’s new album is a loosely themed record about the dumbing down of British culture. It seems to direct an extra special hatred towards quiz shows and talent shows. Fair enough, although I have to personally admit quite liking the 'Millionaire' television programme, The sleeve , which shows a photo of mods and rockers fighting on a beach, suggests that people in Britain don’t care as much as they used to, which is probably correct. The album, however, isn’t a bitter record, and nor is it one that wallows in the past. Instead Lovejoy have refined their sound, and broadened their horizons. Always one of the Matinee label’s more popular bands, this is their best recording to date. It kicks off with an electronic pop song, the title track, which sounds a little like label-mate Jason Sweeney’s electro-pop. Far more elegant than Fischerspooner. It’s a really impressive beginning, and a bit of a surprise. The rest of the album is more guitar-orientated, but each song is different to the previous one, and one has to say that Lovejoy write some tremendous songs. The word that best describes them is “graceful”. They are not particulary catchy, but the songs really are growers. It is also quite plain that the band can really play. As added bonus, they include their cover of Biff Bang Pow!’s 'The Beat Hotel' for anybody who missed their 7” of covers of the Creation outfit last year. It is really great, but Lovejoy seem to have far more in common with Creation’s golden period (the My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Boo Radleys, years) than with the C86 era. The only disappointments concerning this record are that it is a shame that a band this good shouldn’t be prevented due to studio budget constraints from making the record they’re really capable of as they have been in this case, and also that at only 9 songs it is a bit short. Despite the fact that some might call this a wasted opportunity to make a genre-defining classic, this is , however, a terrific listen.

Track Listing:-

1 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
2 You Fell From Grace
3 Plastic Flowers
4 Nothing Happens Here
5 Snow Falling Softly (Bent Fabric mix)
6 The Beat Hotel
7 Night On Earth
8 Millionaire...Maybe
9 Don't You (Wish You'd Never Met Me)?

Label Links:-

http://matineerecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/matineerecord