Luxury Stranger

"Commitment and Discipline" (Trash Vogue Records)

In the last twelve months, it seems Luxury Stranger have covered almost every millimeter of the M1 from hometown Nottingham to pretty much everywhere in the UK and half of Europe. Luxury Stranger's ‘difficult' second album represents the final curtain for that incarnation of the band, with Simon York remaining to realise the project's future.

So, what do we get? Comparison to Cure-style shoe-gazing is an easy, lazy option, Simon York's impassioned cries are much more gutsy, even optimistic; think Ultrasound's Andrew "Tiny" Wood, rather than the wondering, wandering Robert Smith-ster. Musically, Luxury Stranger is much more direct, sharing a immediacy mindful of Placebo over the fey unison bass/guitar that could lead this reviewer again to utter that C-word.

The point is this; Luxury Stranger ain't a tribute band, although the roots may be shared, much of the melody, harmony and construction isn't, the music stands with its own power and sparkles compositional delight. Although a certain vintage charm is undeniable, Luxury Stranger's position on the musical spectrum feeds off the power and realised sleaze of late 1990's indie; music of this depth needs to be celebrated and encouraged, not beaten down and pigeonholed by lazy fanzines and hackneyed music critics.

Hopefully, the renewed Luxury Stranger (with Chris Tuke and Neal Spowage) will sever the band from its rather solipsistic past, and the eponymous commitment and discipline will allow Luxury Stranger to burst through the heliopause. There's talent and vision here, with a bit more fizz we could have something quite extraordinary. Roll on album number three.
[7]
Miranda Yardley