Back catalogue: Indie/Alternative

Review: Cloudcuckooland, the 1990 debut by The Lightning Seeds, is a delightful exploration of nerd-pop, infused with whimsical and earnest lyricism. Spearheaded by Ian Broudie, the album features 12 tracks that blend imaginative daydreams with Casio presets, creating a twee, sentimental atmosphere. The standout track, 'Pure,' achieved significant success, charting in both the UK Top 20 and the US Billboard Top 40. Its gentle strumming, synth arpeggios, and Broudie's evocative lyrics evoke a sense of innocent love. The follow-up single, 'All I Want,' continues this trend with its protective, poetic tone and toy harpsichord melodies. While some tracks, like 'Control the Flame' and 'Bound in a Nutshell,' experiment with genre to unique results, others, such as 'Joy' and 'Frenzy,' offer catchy synth-pop moments. Though not as danceable as contemporaries, Cloudcuckooland remains charming for its dainty sentiments and hopeful suitor's perspective, making it a timeless piece of twee pop.

Review: "This could stand a little more bite," The Chicago Tribune wrote of Cloudcuckooland back in 1990. Suffice to say, Greg Kot hadn't listened to enough by The Lighting Seeds before penning his thoughts on their debut album. As we all know, the Liverpudlian combination of Ian Broudie and Original Mirrors never really had much bite, and instead preferred to float on the wave of sweet and often soft indie pop. Nevertheless, despite the lack of weight and heft, The Lightning Seeds did make a big impact back in the day, with this, their debut album, even managing to bag a spot in the US Top 40. Listening to it now, Broudie's enviable credentials as a producer for the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen, Wall of Voodoo, and the Fall are more than audible in the pitch perfect polish, each tracks boasting that infectious, singalong quality.