Wigan’s likely lads enhance their reputation as Indie stars in waiting on their brilliant sophomore album. The Lathums burst onto the scene with their thrilling debut album How Beautiful Life Can Be in 2021. And despite that pesky Covid spoiling tours with rock n roll royalty Paul Weller, the record still managed to find its way to the top of the hit parade.
Two years on then, and although the departure of bassist Johnny Cunliffe may have been a slight bump in the road, the now three-piece has returned with a bigger, bolder and braver selection of songs. After signing to Island Records in 2020 and having built up a huge following whilst touring across the UK, the band are ready to take over the world.
From Nothing To A Little Bit More is the band’s most open and honest work to date. Opening with ‘Struggle’ the record starts with a huge kick, with lead singer Alex Moore taking centre stage. The song is about love, about loss, about being ‘forced to my knees’ it is about the past ‘‘I sometimes think back to when I was young, To happier times but now they have gone’ ‘Struggle’ is the perfect title. Yet despite the heartache within it is a song you’ll be hearing sung across festivals this summer. It has The Park stage Glastonbury vibes running through its veins.
Recorded with Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Editors) From Nothing To A Little Bit More has a mature sound to it but remains fresh and vibrant. ‘Say My Name’ nods to The Coral (with James Skelly of The Coral producing their debut album this will come as no surprise) the song takes flight with guitarist Scott Concepcion’s stunning instrumentation at the forefront. ‘’I Know’ starts off like something from ‘Please, Please Me’ but with the dark undertones ‘’you drove a dagger straight through my heart’’ it certainly isn’t all sunshine and roses.
Alex Moore describes himself as ‘’sad and strange’’ and whilst this filters through the songs it certainly isn’t a fault. He’s quite simply a fantastic lyricist and on ‘Rise And Fall’ he certainly proves his worth. ‘Turmoil’ is a beautiful heart-breaking ballad and could well be the MVP of the record. A song about anxiety and being in love (which Alex now claims he no longer is) the production is off-the-scale good. Lighters in the air for this one folks. Beautiful stuff.
‘Crying Out’ is equally as beautiful, a song about struggling with and without relationships, Alex here is literally crying out for somebody. It discusses being alone, and how he’s not asking for much, he just wants someone to grow old with. It is a song every single one of us can relate to, there is real genius in the simplicity of his words.
Closing the album is the eight-minute-long ‘Underserving’ it is a song that starts with chords that Noel Gallagher would certainly recognise and one you could certainly imagine Liam singing. That said it is very Lathums and is the perfect way to end the record. There is still a sense of sadness pouring from the song but there is a wave of hope crashing in.
Should they find the time in their set to play it live it will be beautiful. “I can safely say now that I have no regrets” and quite right too, Alex and Co you’ve written and recorded a most wonderful album, I hope you get all the success from it you deserve.
How beautiful life can be was just a beautiful experience for me,the instrumentals the lyrics,I was engrossed,Alex is unique and the second album,I think,is even better,roll on the Albert hall next week