The Beat Surrender

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything new from Lauryn Hill, I understand that she may be finding it difficult to follow up her massive selling solo album, but it seems I have the solution for her, she doesn’t need to thank me or pay me royalties, just the satisfaction of knowing i’m a musical genius in the making is enough for me.

You see her answer to her dilema has arrived in the shape of a nine piece band from these very shores and their debut album contains the magic ingredient. I was giving The Bookhouse Boys album a second spin this afternoon, when in the other room my better half was playing the Lauryn Hill album at the same time. The track Introduction and it’s sweeping sound of days gone by matched perfectly with Hill’s vocal. So if she ever returns with a new album and it features 1950’s pop and surf guitars then you know she took me up on this idea.

Aside from possibly saving the music careers of former Fugees, The Bookhouse Boys have had a tremendous year so far. Two great singles that have received Record Of The Week status from Steve Lamacq and now the release of their eponymous debut, which again ticks all the right boxes, even if it does tail off ever so slightly at the end.

That in part may be down to the quality that has gone before in the first three quarters of this long player, but I Believe, Baby I Gotta and Mariachi are all weaker tracks than what has proceeded them, although they are by no means bad it just feels like the album fizzles out rather than continuing with the impetus laid down before.

First track proper after the intro song is Dead, the brilliant single that contains some of my favourite vocals of this year and some equally good lyrics; “Lift your head, your heart will follow” giving you some optimistic advice and then you get “He was dead in your eyes, but like jesus he rises again” typically showing their mix of sinister pop meets upbeat message in the lyrics.

That track is still my favourite, but after a few listens songs like Tonight with it’s Tindersticks feel in the vocals and surf guitar music start to come forward, likewise Shoot You Down that makes the best use of 2nd vocalist Catherine Turner, which is something that is under used in the second half of the album, also shines out.

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