Bubblegum Lemonade - Doubleplusgood

by Anthony Strutt

published: 9 / 1 / 2009

Label: Matinee Recordings
Format: CD

Brilliant Rickenbacker-flavoured pop on C-86 influenced debut album from Bubblegum Lemonade, the solo project of Glaswegian multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Laz McLuskey

Review

After two beautiful EPs from Bubblegum Lemonade, the solo project of Glaswegian multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Lawrence “Laz” McLuskey, comes one graceful album of C-86 brilliance. ‘Doubleplusgood’ opens with ‘A Billion Heat Beats’, which is like early Primal Scream, when they were still the best band in the world. Backed by early Jesus and Mary Chain-style vocals, it has a guitar break that James Beattie would love. ‘Beautiful Friends’ is a fast and furious guitar based number and played in a true retro rose- tinted glasses way.‘ I'll Never Be Yours’ is a slow core Jesus and Mary Chain-style number, with extra Primitives backing vocals and that is pure heaven. ‘Tired of Sleeping’ has a Byrds jingle jangle and a vocal from Laz that creeps back from C-86. Its guitar solo again recalls Jim Beattie or even early Peter Buck. ‘Last Time, I Saw Andrew’ has a‘9 Million Rainy Days’ Jesus and Mary Chain flow and added organ, while ‘Susan's in the Sky’ is a C-86 wet dream, with jingle jangle Rickenbackers and primitive drums. Complete bubblegum pop, it is superb for it. ‘Penny Fountain’ sounds somewhere between Cornershop’s ‘Brimful of Asha’and early REM. ‘My Dreams of You’ is like a slowed-down Byrds, very 1960s in a cool black and white way. ‘Lost Summer Days’ is slow with a drum machine pace. Imagine the Beach Boys on a tight budget. ‘Here They Come’ is again like early Primal Scream, and a sugar-coated pop number, ‘Tyler’ again has a Rickenbacker jangle and a love song for a cat. ‘Last Weekend’ is lush and wide screened, and, a song about a farewell kiss, the perfect closely. It is as lovely as the rest of this album, a perfect Rickenbacker-flavoured pop album for the 21st century.

Track Listing:-

1 A Billion Heartbeats
2 Beautiful Friends
3 I'll Never Be Yours
4 Tired of Sleeping
5 Last Time I Saw Andrew
6 Susan's in the Sky
7 Penny Fountain
8 My Dreams of You
9 Lost Summer Days
10 Here They Come
11 Tyler
12 Last Weekend