Lucky Soul are certainly in the right place at the right time, feted from all sides at present. The press release, which accompanies ‘The Great Unwanted’, informs us, tongue firmly in cheek, that they are ‘the most exciting thing to come out of Greenwich since time itself’ and two singles released last year were well received by the cognoscenti. Great things are forecast, so let’s have a listen.

We kick off with current single ‘Add Your Light To Mine, Baby’. The high point of this breathless, unashamedly 60s pop song is the inclusion of the word ‘rubbish’.’ One Kiss Don’t Make A Summer’ is slower, less derivative, and therefore better. Vocalist Ali Howard’s similarity – aurally, more than just visually - to Dislocation Dance’s (and later Miaow’s) Cath Carroll – is, at times, quite startling. Things continue in a similar vein with ‘Struck Dumb’. ‘Lips Are Unhappy’ has interesting touches, whilst ‘My Darling, Anything’ ticks every box in the ‘how to 60s’ handbook. And I don’t know if it’s the – possibly deliberate – cluttered production, or Howard’s, sugary, cloying vocal, but this is becoming wearing. I’m wondering how it is that I can’t see the Empress’ new clothes? ‘Get Outta Town’ tries to be all bluesey and bossy and makes me cringe somewhat in the process.

The title track is the best on here, announcing ‘We will not be ignored’, before throwing a strop during the last minute and a half, and benefiting as a result. ‘Baby I’m Broke’, another slowie, ‘My Brittle Heart’ and ‘Ain’t Never Been Cool’ do little to make me think that Howard’s voice and their songs, aren’t, deep down, trapped in a weary, loveless marriage. ‘Phil Spector, Dusty Springfield… Stax, The Ronettes, Brian Wilson’, are apparently, ‘some of reference points being thrown around’. Not by me, I’m afraid. I’d suggest touches of St Etienne and early Kenickie, but, unluckily, without the soul.

The last 3 songs simply reinforce my initial feeling, and make the album 3 songs too long – 4, if you count the ‘bonus track’ on the way out. And so I’ll refer to Dislocation Dance again, if I may, the fact that many reading this won’t have heard of them merely confirming my point. They were ok, good in principle, had a couple of decent songs, but not much more than that. Kind of lacked ‘heart’, if you know what I mean.

Lucky Soul. This year's Dislocation Dance.

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