Music Review - Ukmusicsearch - Reviews

Welcome to the Music Review - Ukmusicsearch - Reviews



 
BANDS - promote your music, gigs and more at


Album review

THE LOVEGODS - AUDIENCE OF ONE

"Whether its the infectious pop hooks of MISSISSIPPI or the saxophone drenched sleaze rock of MUCHA LUCHA, The Lovegods infect everything here with the same sense of rock n roll spirit and total commitment. "

THE LOVEGODS

Low Love / Mississippi / Black / Its Only Words / Mucha Lucha / Sorry / On And On / 17 / For My Eyes / Wanna See The Stones / Head (Sugar's Bad 4 Your Brain)

BREAD RECORDS
LGCD/0003/A00
Recorded at Ground Zero Studios, Brighton
Produced by The Lovegods and Joel Gregg

RELEASED>Spring 2006

Review Control

Official
site


Read 'latest'
reviews


Comment on
this review


add your
own review



Email review
to a friend



It's here then that The Lovegods make good on all those early glimpses of promise and finally get round to releasing the album they've been threatening and hinting at for the last couple of years. A record that takes all the best bits from their mini LP of a few years ago and shoves it in a blender with the blistering energy of their live performances, in other words a record that seduces you with its slinky charms before smacking you in the face with a brick and running off with a wicked grin on its face. AUDIENCE OF ONE is a glorious mixture of Led Zeppelin, The Stooges, Patti Smith and U2 - we're talking big, hulking rock tunes here that sound destined to fill stadiums, all shot through with an aggression and energy that only comes from bands still hungry and fired up.
Its no doubt a result of the constant touring, but The Lovegods sound like a different band at times here - everything's been amped up and expanded upon, this is a band who've grown rock muscles and aren't afraid to flex them. Frontwoman Deah has emerged as a singer with power and presence to spare, wrapping her bluesy vocals around the songs and dripping with rockstar conviction and sex appeal - the rest of the band backing her up with serpentine guitar riffs, throbbing bass rumbles and hypnotic drum patterns.
From the opening moments and that slamming riff heralding the start of LOW LOVE, its clear that AUDIENCE OF ONE is an album that offers something a little special. Whether its the infectious pop hooks of MISSISSIPPI or the saxophone drenched sleaze rock of MUCHA LUCHA, The Lovegods infect everything here with the same sense of rock n roll spirit and total commitment.
Of course, as with most things there are a few miss steps and stumbles along the way, closing track HEAD (SUGAR'S BAD 4 YOUR BRAIN) is a messy collision of bad techno and funk rock that sounds like a remix gone wrong, whilst in other places the band steer a little too close to formulaic rock ballad territory for comfort, Deah only a brief step away from mutating into a Bonnie Tyler for a new generation.
These are only minor quibbles however, when stacked against the quality of the majority of the rest of the material here. The tender strains of BLACK are about as bruised and beautiful as anything else you'll hear all year, the acoustic tinged ON & ON a glorious slice of subdued pop that imagines Sheryl Crow, Fiona Apple and PJ Harvey stuck in a room together bashing out a tune.
A superb combination of epic rock songs and bruised pop majesty, AN AUDIENCE OF ONE is an album to cherish; beauty, brains and rock action, The Lovegods - what's not to love?


Six years ago on a dusty Parisian side street, two spheres of fate collided and the world of music and songwriting was changed forever.
First there was Deah, an exotic antipodean beauty, starting a new life for herself in Europe. Then there was essentially French Art. It happened simply enough, Deah was busking. Art was struck by her incredible voice; Deah was struck by Art’s Gallic charm and handsome profile. Seeing as she was but a helpless homeless wastrel, Art took Deah home, she made him dinner, he taught her French. They wrote a song together. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.
They moved to England, signed to a major label, got major depression, left major label, met drum wunderkind Rob. They found a boy with complimentary hair and threw a bass in his hands. Tim had arrived and so had The love Gods. They chose Brighton as their home and set about building an extravagant palace made out of crystal and rubies. They stuffed their mattresses with bird of paradise feathers and had pillows made from clouds. Inside they constructed a magnificent recording studio to record all their music. Word spread around town, along the South Coast. Simple country folk told their cousins that worked on the riverbanks and news soon spread right up into the smoke.
The loveGods were asked to London, they played at galleries and fashion shows and everyone loved them wherever they went, because they are The loveGods and that is what they do. They have magical powers. When The loveGods play, an invisible net is cast out over the audience. Suddenly you are at their command. If Deah says ‘bark like a dog’, you’ll bark like a dog, and you’ll howl and you’ll bawl and you won’t know why.
In Paris, London and New York, their ethereal presence has seeped into the souls of gig-goers. Shape-shifting masters of allusion and metamorphosis, The loveGods sweep from raw emotive rock to trailer trash hillbilly, to feisty operatic flamenco to blissfully melancholic lullaby, upon the breath of a dying butterfly. Everyone who sees The loveGods cannot help but be touched by the sheer sincerity and beauty they radiate.
A Brief History
The loveGods started out as a duo performing acoustic sets in a small basement venue in Brighton 2 years ago. The duo became a four piece and have grown to be Brighton's biggest independent band and consistently sell out the 350 capacity Komedia venue in the heart of the city. Moving from delicate fragility to fiery intensity, The loveGods entertain and captivate from the moment they get on stage. With their explosive dynamics, heart wrenching vocals, painfully potent melodies and eccentric sense of humour, the 'Gods will take you through the full spectrum of human emotions and back again.
On Jo Whiley’s Radio 1 show on Friday 2nd April, Brighton based four-piece The loveGods fought off stiff competition to be crowned winners of the station’s prestigious OneMusic Unsigned contest.
Unyielding online voting from their dedicated fanbase over the last few months sent The loveGods flying through the first round, hosted by the Radio 1/OneMusic website, guaranteeing them a place in the final five. The next stage was slogging it out with the four other finalists in a tense week of activity on Jo Whiley's show. The loveGods had a stronghold of the voting throughout the week which involved a number of challenges and each day the band with the fewest votes was given the elbow. At Friday's nail-biting finale the 'Gods just clinched it from hot contender Broken Dolls.
To celebrate their victory the fearless foursome played to a rammed fashionista house party in London’s East End where their typically energetic set literally had the floors shaking.
The Lovegods, recently crowned winners of Radio One's prestigious Best Unsigned Band release their debut album AUDIENCE OF ONE in Spring 2006.
Inspired and influenced by artists like Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, AUDIENCE OF ONE is an eclectic mix of 12 timeless songs which will seduce you and take you through a whole spectrum of emotions.
As Brighton's biggest unsigned act The Lovegods fill 500 capacity venues and regularly sell out venues around the country. This enables the band to be self sufficient and has allowed them freedom to subsidise the recording of their debut album.
It was a chance meeting on a Parisian side street where vocalist Deah met guitarist Art. "I was homeless and busking in France when I bumped into Art", says Deah. Art was struck by her incredible voice, he took her home, she made him dinner, he taught her French, and they wrote a song together that evening. A few days later, the duo packed up their car and headed to England where they met and joined forces with drummer Rob and bassist Mezza.
The band has built up a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts in the UK. They've played 200 shows in the past year including support slots with the Magic Numbers, Franz Ferdinand, The Darkness and The Fun Lovin' Criminals. They entertain and captivate from the moment they get on stage with their explosive dynamics and heartwrenching vocals. NME coined their performance "Led Zep with chick singer and less solos".

   :: Line Up :: Discography :: Merchandise :: Further Listening :: Web Links ::


Deah >vocal/guitar
Art >guitar/vocals
Rob>drums/Percussion
Mezza>bass


BETWEEN DOGS & WOLVES (2004-Bread Records)
14 Hours
Heroin
Like U Do
Whats Behind
Whats Behind Part 2
Broken Tongue
SOS
Sadie Mercedes
Magic Fairy Butterfly

AUDIENCE OF ONE (2005>Bread Records)
Low Love
Mississippi
Black
Its Only Words
Mucha Lucha
Sorry
On And On
17
For My Eyes
Wanna See The Stones
Head (Sugar's Bad 4 Your Brain)


Email>

LINKS
The Love Gods>




PJ Harvey>Dry (1992>Too Pure)
Solar Race>Homespun (1997>Silvertone Records)
Scheer>Infliction (1996>4AD)

Review date: October 2005





 
UKmusicsearch

2000 - 2006

Social Bookmarking