| STRAIGHT outta Paisley on the back of the C86 guitar pop wave, Close Lobsters were a little unfortunate to fly under the radar compared to some of their contemporaries. The pristine jangle shimmer of singles such as “ Never Seen Before” and “Going To Heaven To See If It Rains” led to a brace of lovely LPs for Fire. A final, biting single for the Caff Corporation culled from the final Fire LP, “Just Too Bloody Stupid” and then they were gone. Interest began to arrive with the 2009 singles compilation Forever, Until Victory!; and the band finally reformed to play a quartet of dates worldwide three years later. An intermittent trio of singles followed before February this year saw the band – the founding quintet of Andrew and Bob Burnett, Tom Donnelly, Stewart McFayden and Graeme Wilmington – release their first LP in 31 years, Post Neo Anti – Arte Povera In the Forest Of Symbols. Reunited with their original production svengali John A Rivers (also behind the sound of other such other 80s’ luminaries as Felt, The Loft and Talulah Gosh), be in doubt that Close Lobsters have come back swinging; there’s no ring rustiness and they still have that gift for shimmering guitar pop craft, combined with a proudly political lyrical stance. The album – the cover art for which was inspired by the Italian militant anti-fascist group, Arditi Del Popolo – is available now at https://closelobsters.bandcamp.com/ And to entice you into their world, the band have released the video for “Godless” from the album: it’s all lush Rickenbacker rush, sweetening the bitter pill as Andrew Burnett intones: “At what point/do we start/to admit/that we’ve been left bereft.” You can see it here. Be very glad they’re back. |
SEE: The Close Lobsters have still got the guitar shimmer nailed – ‘Godless’
