Search - Spectrals :: Sob Story

Spectrals started in 2009 as a one-man band consisting of Yorkshire's Louis Jones. Louis' brother Will soon joined, and while touring members have come and gone the core of the two brothers remains. In 2011 Spectrals signed to Slumberland for the release of their debut album, Bad Penny. Recorded by Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Spectrum), the album was critically acclaimed, with Pitchfork giving it a 7.5 and described it as having ''a youthful spirit but rooted in a classic sound.'' But what of the new album? Well, after an understated guitar intro, a buzzsaw starts up and 'Let Me Cave In' comes sliding in. At once it is obvious that Sob Story oozes a new confidence not heard on Bad Penny or his earlier releases. The songs sparkle: they are catchier, poppier, more direct than ever before. Sob Story displays Louis's wide-ranging influences - many loves developed on family car journeys growing up - from Big Star and The Rolling Stones, through Nick Lowe, Tom Petty and Slade to Galaxie 500 and even blink-182. Louis takes all these influences and puts them together to create something that is undeniably Spectrals. Much like his favorite musician Elvis Costello, Jones has always been a musician who could traverse many styles across an album but who never lost his own style and voice whilst doing so. Two years on the road with the likes of Real Estate, Cults and Best Coast built confidence and experience, and where Jones might once have hidden his vocal in a cloak of echo, can be heard singing more clearly, strongly and proudly than ever before. A tour with Girls resulted in a strong mutual appreciation, and plans were made for Louis and Will to fly out to San Francisco to start laying down the songs that now make-up Sob Story at Chet ''JR'' White's Decibelle studio. Working in his hometown allowed JR to call in friends of his to contribute their own magic to the album, including guitarist Jon Anderson and pedal-steel player Tom Heyman. JR even played some of the basslines himself, as well as adding some deft manipulation from behind the soundboard, for example the atmospherics that he created for one of the stand-out tracks, 'Milky Way'. As JR said in a recent interview for Paste magazine, ''we had to use a lot of creativity and in the end, it sounds really cohesive and big. It s not a lo-fi record.'' Sob Story sees Spectrals back and better than ever, brimming with confidence and the best songs of the Jones brothers' careers so far. It's an album that begs to be played again as soon as it finishes and one that will also create excitement at what is to come next from this band, whether Louis is lucky or unlucky in love between now and then.