History lesson – Lithium Joe were much more than graffiti on Hull’s train station wall. Whilst the majority of local unsigned bands are happy to settle for receiving meaningless platitudes from their mates and being great in the local clubs, Lithium Joe were different. Tour of England followed tour of England as the band promoted a string of self produced high-octane pop records. In short, Lithium Joe looked the world in the eye and backed up their words with action. Paul Thompson, front-man of Hull’s finest band of recent years returns to the music scene with his debut solo album.
It’s the Lithium Joe-inspired DIY attitude that informs this record. Whilst most acts signed to major label record companies are indeed signed for a very good reason, Paul proves that major label backing is not obligatory if you want to make exciting records that challenge listeners both musically and lyrically. It’s quite tempting to expect a solo-album to head down the well-trodden singer-songwriter path, but this record contains far wider influences.
‘An Exile in Suburbia’ is a record packed with small nods to a range of different artists and genres. Influenced by The Clash and Bob Dylan in spirit and atmosphere, it’s mixed with the pure pop sound of ‘Pet Sounds’ era Beach Boys, before being dragged forcefully into the 21st century. From the pure pop acoustic sound of The Beatles circa 1964s ‘A Hard Days Night’ album, to the chiming guitars of Teenage Fanclub through to the double-tracking on the vocals used to create harmonies not unlike The Everley Brothers, these different influences and musical threads are blended together to produce something fresh and vibrant for 2004.
Whilst all the songs are incorporate only vocals, guitar and harmonica, you can be forgiven for thinking that you’re listening to a full band performing. With no two tracks sounding the same, the scope of the material is stunning. Not content to merely craft catchy, melodic pop-tunes that you’ll whistle for days like ‘I Ain’t Finished Yet’ and ‘A Silent Revolution’, this record packs in a purely a-cappella number, ‘The Autocue’ and even a little nod towards dance music on the experimental ‘Radio Interference.’
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The disc’s major strength is revealed within its lyrics. It’s a real shame that they are not reproduced somewhere within the excellent sleeve artwork. Lyric writing seems to be a dying art, or at least an optional extra in the songwriters’ toolkit. Instead of navel staring introspection this record deals with the bigger issues of personal politics and the way in which we interact with the wider world. From learning how to rationalise the past, to living in a media led age through to the danger of not believing in yourself and your own capabilities, this is a record that has a lot to say about the way we lead our lives.
‘An Exile In Suburbia’ is a fantastic pop record that takes a variety of different musical ideas and blends them together to create a sound that is uniquely its own. There aren’t many artists, period, who are capable of doing that. If you like your music to contain the old fashioned ideas of tunes, melodies and thoughtful lyrics, but still want to be surprised by what can be done with these simple ideas then this is the record to find them on.
www.joesolo.co.uk
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