Highlights Out Now!

One of the pleasures of listening to Inspirals frontman Tom Hingley band The Lovers is hearing a voice being set free: it soars and sings, like really sings. Makes a nice change in a climate of resolutely non-singing plastic indie bands. Lyrically clever and at times moving (‘3am’) this is a grown up album. While no young Turks themselves, The Lovers have enough energy and vigour to power a Tesco Megaplex and it’s extra 120,000 sq ft of illegally built floor space. Saying that though, the energy is reigned in and controlled. Some of the slower tracks here almost seethe….in a good way mind.

The songs are intelligent, fun, deep, and toe-tappingly tremendous. Tom steers the sound lyrically and vocally away from the Inspirals, but the ear for a good hook is there in spades. For example I challenge you to listen to ‘Kick Out The Clocks’ and not be humming it for the rest of your life.

A departure from previous album ‘Abba Are The Enemy’, less raucous but no less angry ‘Highlights’ is a superb collection of songs by a band who deserve to have strangers chanting their surnames football style.