Album Review: Lois – The Polperro Horse Bus Company

The first thing that struck me when I first played Lois’ first long-player was that I was listening to a very early Manics album by mistake (no real surprise then that Guy Massey, producer and engineer of this album had previously worked with the Manics). When you explore the full 16 track release in more depth, you’ll soon realise that this is an overly simplistic view of a debut full of variety and the energy.

In case this is your first exposure to Lois, they are a Nottingham-based four-piece rock and roll band (John, Lee, Rich & Ade) who have been producing music since the turn of the 10s. Previous releases such as ‘Monkey Girl’ have received praise & airtime from such luminaries as BBC Radio’s Mark Radcliffe, and listening to the full album it’s not hard to see why.

The first thing that strikes you is there’s a bumper 16 tracks crammed into one hour of listening, the first clue to the band’s retro (60s & 70s) influences, when this was the norm. But there’s definitely a modern edge, in both subject matter and production. Familiar subjects like love, joy, melancholy and isolation are dealt with in equal measure, headlined by the bonus track (and earlier single) ‘Be True to Yourself’.

Whilst guitars and drums are the core of Lois’ sound, the Hammond organ rears it’s head from time to time to provide real depth and drive to some of the tracks, most notably on the climactic finale ‘Who Can Help You Now ?’, which has overtones of Primal Scream & Kula Shaker at their peak.

A strong start decries ‘the pretension all around’, and this is the first time we hear the lead guitar given its head; at just 2:03 long, you know you’re in for a busy hour, keeping up with the sheer pace of things. ‘Your Own Little World’ provides a little down-tempo respite, before things really start to pick up again. The secret to why this album works so well is the well-crafted marriage of distinctive vocals, simple harmonies and a driving rhythm. Overlaid with engaging, catchy lyrics (‘I’m Out For The Summer’ is a great example), and you have an addictive combination.

One or two observations to keep everything in perspective (not criticisms at all because a) I’m not a musician, unless you count Grade 6 trombone and b) there just comments to help you understand the type of music on offer here). Firstly, if you’re looking for the lyrical sophistication of, say, the Arctic’s first release, you won’t find it here, although ‘My Precious Love’ has reassuring depth. Secondly, and this is purely a personal opinion, when the lead guitar takes centre stage, some of the can sound a little as if it is being read from a script, rather than being given complete freedom to explore its range.

These are minor things, but as a package, this is a hugely impressive, uplifting combination of old school rock and roll comforts with a readily-apparent, modern twist. If you don’t find yourself singing along and tapping your feet to ‘Don’t Leave Me Ruined’, I’d recommend you go and see someone about it.

Finally, having been fortunate enough to have seen these guys live, the album does a great job of bottling some of that energy you only get with a live performance, which many bands never manage to achieve. All in all, it has been a pleasure to have listened to ‘The Polperro Horse Bus Company’ and it definitely deserves a chance to make it into your playlist …

Review by Andrew Vass