Help Stamp Out Loneliness is one of those rare collections of songs where there is always more to discover.
Help Stamp Out Loneliness is one of those rare collections of songs where there is always more to discover.
(Papillons Noirs)
The debut album from these guys came out in May this year. It is now August.
So I wonder: why haven’t I heard more about them? For the life of me, I can’t see why there hasn’t been more interest in this Manchester sextet as this album is one of the most attention-grabbing and varied records I have heard this year.
From the Belle and Sebastian-esque strains of Cottonopolis & Promises to the quirky electro-pop of A Ghost with a Hammer in His Hand and the Los Campesinos-style guitar and glockenspiel combination on My Window, this lot draw in influences from the four corners of the independent music world to create an album that has a nagging ability to sound reassurngly familiar yet take you by surprise.
Help Stamp Out Loneliness is one of those rare collections of songs where there is always more to discover. Once you have grown accustomed to the novel instrumentation, (everybody likes a bit of pan-pipes) you will find there’s always yet another clever cultural reference to keep you on your toes. The lyrics of HSOL cover everything from medieval poetry to Richard Dawkins – ‘talk about the troubadours and the selfish gene’, (Cellophane). They even dedicate a song to the mysterious self-promoting model American model Angelyne.
If the lyrics and the good old fashioned song writing skill don’t grab you, the vocals of D Lucille Campbell certainly will. Described on the band’s blog as ‘Nico-esque’, her casual, husky lilt is a great addition to this veritable Smorgasbord of musical delights. So, what are you waiting for? Go on, tuck in…