Hotel Lux - Barstool Preaching - EP Review
South London quartet Hotel Lux have finally rolled out their long anticipated debut EP 'Barstool Preaching' through Nice Swan Records.
If you're crossing off the days on your calendar till the boozers reopen after this lockdown and wondering what the hell to do with yourself let's introduce you to this lovely little lot, migrating all the way from coastal Pompey Hotel Lux have told us all about their dear love of Southern London, a few pints of lager and a good laugh with your mates throughout all their releases and 'Barstool Preaching' continues to share those stories through an array of jolly little tunes that might just make these times a wee bit more enjoyable.
Opening with 'Tabloid Newspaper', released back in November 2019, sets the tone for what we're going to hear on this release, a bouncey guitar led track chatting to the audience in that signature awkward tone we love. 'Eddie's Gaff' comes next, given to us at the beginning of march this ones a slightly slower number swinging from gang vocal to gang vocal telling nostalgic tales of wasting your life away in the good old days. Slowing things down even further for the shortest track on the EP, 'Charades' consists of over-exaggerated spoken word verses and surprisingly dainty choruses making for a real arm in arm ending swaying along with ya pals. A change of tone comes for track 4 'Lonliness Of The Stage Perfromer' one of the more defined tracks from the selection albeit with some of its rather dingy eyebrow raising lines, a sharp, jolly array of twangs and plucks play over the closest to actual singing we get from the guys and even then it's more of a professional groan into the mic.
Opening with 'Tabloid Newspaper', released back in November 2019, sets the tone for what we're going to hear on this release, a bouncey guitar led track chatting to the audience in that signature awkward tone we love. 'Eddie's Gaff' comes next, given to us at the beginning of march this ones a slightly slower number swinging from gang vocal to gang vocal telling nostalgic tales of wasting your life away in the good old days. Slowing things down even further for the shortest track on the EP, 'Charades' consists of over-exaggerated spoken word verses and surprisingly dainty choruses making for a real arm in arm ending swaying along with ya pals. A change of tone comes for track 4 'Lonliness Of The Stage Perfromer' one of the more defined tracks from the selection albeit with some of its rather dingy eyebrow raising lines, a sharp, jolly array of twangs and plucks play over the closest to actual singing we get from the guys and even then it's more of a professional groan into the mic.
I think the most important spot on any release is the closing track, it has to leave you thinking "wow, what a cracking album" and they certainly saved the best till last here. 'Ballad Of You & I' is a joyous tune from start to end full of those lovely upbeat gang Vs', a bloody trumpet (wow) and a fuzzy foot tapping beat that'll stay around for weeks, merrily ringing out to 'the grass is always greener' couldn't be a better end to this EP.
Some bands make music that just doesn't live up to the live experience you hope for but 'Barstool Preaching' is one I feel almost the opposite about, maybe its bias taking advantage of us being locked inside for the past month with no sign of being allowed out for the foreseeable future but this EP is one that simply needs to be experienced live to really hit it's full potential. These guys are part of a new refreshing face to the post-punk scene fronting almost spoken word vocals on record and we are just rearing to hear the passion and energy they can feed through it on stage via warm pints of larger and a packet of Lambert & Bulter.
'Barstool Preaching' is out now via Nice Swan Records.
Some bands make music that just doesn't live up to the live experience you hope for but 'Barstool Preaching' is one I feel almost the opposite about, maybe its bias taking advantage of us being locked inside for the past month with no sign of being allowed out for the foreseeable future but this EP is one that simply needs to be experienced live to really hit it's full potential. These guys are part of a new refreshing face to the post-punk scene fronting almost spoken word vocals on record and we are just rearing to hear the passion and energy they can feed through it on stage via warm pints of larger and a packet of Lambert & Bulter.
'Barstool Preaching' is out now via Nice Swan Records.
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