The Lottery Winners
The Lottery Winners are a band who are the definition of grafters. They’ve actually been together for over 10 years and through sheer persistence and a love of what they do, they’ve finally released their debut album. Now, I’ve known them for 7/8 years so I am somewhat bias, but this album has been well worth the wait.
The opening track ‘The Meaning of Life’ is typical of what The Lottery Winners are all about as a band. It’s a joyous and uplifting opener, with a catchy chorus that gives you an idea of what to expect from the rest of the album. Then comes two singles that have been released in the last year. ‘Little Things’ and ‘21’ are songs that will stick in your head hours after you’ve listened to them, with memorable choruses and proper singalong moments.
The theme of catchy choruses continues with tracks ‘I Don’t Love You’, ‘That’s Not Entertainment’ and ‘Headlock’, the former, for me, sounding like a modern take on ‘Dizzy’ by The Wonder Stuff (a band who The Lottery Winners have supported in the past). ‘That’s Not Entertainment’ pokes fun at the dreadful reality programmes that a lot of the current generation seem to eat up nowadays.
As the album continues, the indie-pop bangers keep coming. ‘18 To 30’s’ and ‘Hawaii’ lament the state of how the younger generation seem to be wasting their lives away with cheap holidays and the need to get away from everyday life. These are followed by 2 tracks that reward die-hard, long-time fans. ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘I Know’ are tracks that were released well over 5 years ago and were some of the first tracks that I heard when I first started listening to the band. Both have been reworked ever so slightly, but still possess the charm that attracted me to The Lottery Winners in the first place. ‘Elizabeth’ particularly is a gorgeous tune, taking elements of The Smiths and The Housemartins and putting them into a stunning modern pop song.
The album ends with some of singer Thom Rylance’s best lyrics to date on ‘Young Again’. He warns of the dangers of letting life pass you by before you realise you’re old and looking back at your life wishing you’d done more with it. Yes the idea of not letting your life slip away has been done before, but the song really has a special charm to it that makes you want to pack a bag and go and travel around the world.
Overall the album’s 40 minutes fly by before you know it, and you’re left wanting to press the replay button. As a debut album, it does its job perfectly. It introduces you to a band who know how to write big songs, and although the music is by no means ground-breaking, it sets up the band perfectly for the future. Keep an eye out for this band, as this is just the beginning for them…
by Jake Cartledge
Northern Radar 