Sara Bailey finds summer cheer in Stooshe's latest effort

  • London With The Lights On
  • Stooshe
  • Warner Bros

The most striking thing about Stooshe’s London with the Lights On is its unyielding energy.

This bold entry album highlights the girls’ confidence and talent to spare. However, each song, bar the penultimate Fly Again has a garishly upbeat sound, almost like a ‘60’s girl group but with Lily Allen’s city attitude.

Though these singers have created an urbanised, original sound and “bring it back to the old-school vibes”; I couldn’t help but feel flung into a primary school disco where the opposite sex were on the other side of the room, awkwardly clicking to an album like this blaring, listening to the, what I feel are meaningless lyrics. In other words, this album lacks subtlety.

That said, there are cracks where beautiful harmonies shine through. The stripped approach complements the undoubtedly talented trio, but runs the risk of joining the relentless soul singer bandwagon, which is already saturated.

Perhaps this is part of the problem, the need to be fresh and current, and (at fear of sounding like my parents) ‘down with the kids’. This brings noise like the unnecessary squawks on Love Me.

The problem I have with all their chit-chat; is that, unlike Kate Nash et al, the lyrics lack her iridescent charm.

A witty remark on society, to my mind, lends intrigue and makes it worth pressing ‘replay’. But, for those looking for a cheerful background to a summer party, this could be it.