Single review
The Loft
Feel Good Now
Out now
Last June came the Precious Riley & Coe Session, then a month back news of a brand new studio album by the full original line-up of former Creation Records legends The Loft. ‘Feel Good Now’ is the quite brilliant second track taken from the forthcoming ‘Everything Changes Everything Stays The Same’ album due out 14 March 2024 on Tapete.
It’s a shame Dan Treacy dreamed up ‘They Could Have Been Bigger than the Beatles’ as the title for the third Television Personalities album as that would’ve been a great alternative to what the Loft have settled on for their album.
‘Feel Good Now’ does have a distinct (1964) Beatles thing going on somehow. And a dash of (1967) Kinks come to think of it, which is pretty much pop perfection when combined with the Loft memberships song writing talent.
It’s the first song on the album and a great, unprepossessing opener. An ‘anthem’ to discrete, mild-mannered hedonism in later life. ‘Mindfulness’ meets alcohol-dependency…
Bring the bottle over here
Pour it out, drink it down
I don’t want to feel good tomorrow
Want to feel good now
Pete Astor proves himself to be the Sandie Shaw of True Indie. ( It’s yet another promo video where he is barefoot.)
The Loft look handsome but ‘dignified and old’ as the grey hair and crows feet testify in the lovely fly-on-the-studio-wall footage in the video. Blended with clips from their early days its an evocative contrast and matches the lyric (The future, the past..) and reclaims the Pop-song from the ‘youth of today’. This is class.
The Loft have become that most wonderful of things: A readymade, vintage, English (equivalent to the) Modern Lovers (the most exquisite of bands in terms of a faultless debut LP) .. and their own confident yet self-deprecating air befitting their history as the first great Creation band
They even inadvertently reference their classic ‘Up the Hill and Down the Slope’ because the Fifteen thousand bottles are piled up… you guessed it, on the hill.
The album was recorded in Hackney in August and produced by Dexys’ Sean Read with the original Loft line up of Pete Astor (guitar /vocals) Andy Strickland (guitar), Bill Prince (bass) and Dave Morgan (drums).
Feel Good Now, like its parent album, is an unassuming masterpiece.
…………..
Tapete Records album pre-order
Tour dates
Thursday 13 March, Manchester, Gullivers
Friday 14 March, Birmingham, Castle & Falcon
Saturday 15 March, Nottingham, JT Soar (two shows – matinee and evening)
Thursday 20 March, Ramsgate, Music Hall
Friday 21 March, Bristol, Thunderbolt
Saturday 22 March, London, Lexington
Sunday 23 March, Brighton, Prince Albert (matinee show)
Thursday 27 March, Leeds, Lending Room
Friday 28 March, Newcastle, Cluny 2
Saturday 29 March, Glasgow, Mono
All words Ged Babey
Photo/video by Ruth Tidmarsh of Planetruth Pictures. Tour poster by Joe Shutter.
Alternative review – for those readers who insist that Music Journalism is all too ‘Positive’ and PR-driven nowadays
Single review
The Loft
Feel Good Now
Out now
Cheer Up Luv, it might never ‘appen! / Count your blessings! / Mustn’t grumble. / Have another drink old chap!
Jesus Christ – this song is flaccid Englishness personified. Absolutely soppy, defeatist, pointless, unimaginative drivel. Cosy, dull, retrogressive…
The world is crumbling, fascism spreading like a plague and what is this bunch of old fella’s answer?
Have Another Drink and close the curtains, block out the world….
Musically, just play in a day Merseybeat.
If there’s a war The Loft will be our Dad’s Army.
(Ivor Cobbon)
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