Artist: Looper
Title: Offgrid:Offline
Genre: Indie
Release Date: 10th April 2015
Label: Mute Records
Album Review
LOOPER began life as a side-project for bassist Stuart David, resting from his day job in BELLE AND SEBASTIAN. Those Scottish Indie-Popsters have been gently kicking around their distinctive brand of foppish, very British sounding indie-electronica for what seems like forever, so perhaps something new to sink his artistic teeth into was just the thing. Joined by his artist wife, who had initially directed BELLE AND SEBASTIAN videos, they set about releasing music for free, funding this by licensing chosen songs for big-shot Hollywood movies, and ad campaigns. Clever. With their whole back-catalogue now licensed to Mute, new album ‘Offgrid:Offline’ feels more focussed than previous efforts, with the emerging LOOPER sound intact and elements of BELLE AND SEBASTIAN wafting around the fringes.
The key to many of these songs is their almost instant appeal. Songs like ‘What If’ feel familiar after the first verse and chorus, yet there’s nothing lightweight here. The deceptive simplicity merely masks the sophisticated song-writing that seems to breeze from the band. Provided you can stomach Stuart David’s reedy and weedy vocals, there are some real gems here. ‘Oh Skinny Legs’ is a beautifully lazy pop swoon, whereas the title track is a simply wonderful spoken word journey through nostalgia and reality, the poetic ruminations on the ordinary staggeringly disarming, and cheekily funny. ‘Images Of The Shipwreck’ continues this spoken-word odyssey, the piano and poetry gorgeous, and with lines like “hope that a thief would slip in during the night, and steal all my troubles away while I slept” just make you want to give him a hug and a cup of tea. Even songs as slight as ‘I Am A Photograph’ have a gentle, summery appeal, an assured tone despite the gossamer textures, and album closer ‘The Lucky Bird’ sighs you off to sleep as a blissful lullaby. Nice.
This is a strong set of songs on offer here, from a writer who is clearly comfortable in his musical skin. From telling stories to gentle reminiscing, these mood pieces and snippets of nostalgia, humour and longing entice you in to a friendship that’s hard to resist.
Tracklist
01. Intro (Down The Lane)
02. What If
03. Waiting For Trains
04. Oh Skinny Legs
05. Offgrid Offline
06. Farfisa Song
07. I Am A Photograph
08. Outro (Tip Toe Home)
09. Images Of The Shipwreck
10. The Lucky Bird
Line-up
Stuart David
Karn David
Ronnie Black
Scott Twynholm
Website
https://www.facebook.com/looperama / http://www.looperama.co.uk/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
