Lightships | Electric Cables

Domino (2012)
By JONATHAN DONALDSON  |  April 3, 2012
3.5 3.5 Stars

lightships-1
Aside from Lightships being a boss band name and Electric Cables being a righteous title, what this hot number really has going for it is that it's the first solo outing from Teenage Fanclub bassist/co-vocalist/co-songwriter Gerald Love, the singer with the really soft, gentle voice that's usually juxtaposed with Norman Blake's more direct, pleading hooks. And after Blake took a turn last year in his side project Jonny, it's more than high time for Love, 25 years into his career, to give us more of his own songs. Being given a Gerald Love solo album in some ways is like picking all the strawberries out of a fruit salad just because you feel like it, and then retreating to your hammock for an afternoon siesta. Unwavering in its gentle simplicity, "The Warmth of the Sun" basks the listener in soft vocals, tremeloed guitar, flute, and xylophone — it's like a lucid dream of one of those pretty, early Led Zeppelin songs. "Sweetness in Her Spark" freshens the air with a splash of harmony, reverb, and thick, Byrds-like harmonies that remind you to line up that date on Friday night. Anyone's pop cynicism should have a hard time getting out of bed on this one.
  Topics: CD Reviews , Music, Arts
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