Louis Eliot - The Long Way Round

  by Geraint Jones

published: 16 / 1 / 2005

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Review

The debut set from former Rialto and before that Kinky Machine front-man Louis Eliot has undergone a prolonged gestation. It has, however, been worth the wait. Often understated in delivery though deceptively ambitious in arrangement, ‘The Long Way Round’ should attract all those with a penchant for a bitter sweet observational lyric amidst a good tune. Essentially that means quality pop craftsmanship, something of a dying art in these days of formulaic conveyer belt “if it’s not an instant hit, drop ‘em” approach that’s adopted by so many labels. The tragic-comic centrepiece ‘Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead’ is a spellbinding example of his songwriting abilities. Elsewhere amongst a sea of melodic riches can be found an equally abundant haul of quality lyrics – I suspect plenty of people will be able to relate to the opening lines of ‘Emily’ – “Took off our ties straight after school/ For lager and limes and shooting pool/Underhand cigarettes to compilation cassettes”… Superbly produced by Tam Johnstone (watch out for his own outfit, The General Store) – ‘The Long Way Round’ comes strongly recommended as a well-crafted, accomplished set of excellent pop music.

Track Listing:-

1 Warmth Of The Sun
2 Emily
3 Party Games
4 Heaven's In Your Eyes
5 She Is Moving On
6 Everybody Loves You When You're Dead
7 Falling
8 Heart Shaped Bruise
9 Tonight
10 Country Life
11 Go To Sleep
12 Monday Morning 5:19 (Acoustic Version)
13 Everybody Loves You When You're Dead (Acoustic Version)
14 Warmth Of The Sun (Acoustic Version)
15 Untouchable (Acoustic Version)
16 Heart Shaped Bruise (Acoustic Version)
17 The Last Day Of Summertime

Label Links:-

http://irl.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/SpiritIRL