LETTIE - GOOD FORTUNE, BAD WEATHER
Outerworld Records

After a couple of albums that no one seemed to notice, Lettie returns with a third LP that ought to push her into the mainstream. Of course, pop success rarely equates to musical quality, but if it did, this should be playing on every radio station.

Opening up with supremely catchy electro tune Swirl, the album goes on to float a series of bouncy, infectious, slightly left-field pop ditties through your head. The bouncy Lucky, with a retro, almost Beatles-esque flavour and the acoustically-driven Bitter that is more down tempo in atmosphere but just as upbeat musically set the scene. This is an album of hook-laden electro pop that often mixes highly danceable tunes with insular, personal, dark lyrics ­ an effective musical combination that is oddly timeless, at once seeming like a 1980s throwback and very modern ­ something lyrically captured on Digital, which fashionably bemoans the loss of VHS, tapes and analogue technology, complete with old-school electronic bleeping. It might be somewhat hipsterish in attitude, but it manages to get away with it.

Tracks like Never Want to be Alone will lodge themselves in your head, defying you not to tap your feet and nod along. And despite the electro domination, the songs here have a genuine warmth and emotional pull (the stripped back Mister Lighter is a welcome moment of organic gentleness and an album highlight, having a This Mortal Coil vibe), and a certain humour and self-awareness too.

It’s rare for a fourteen track album to be this consistently good ­ something helped by the brevity of most songs that clock in at well under three minutes. Only the plastic reggae stylings of Pandora feels like it’s outstaying its welcome. Otherwise, this is a pleasing, charming mix of chill-out vibes and danceable ditties ­ often within the same track. Wannabe pop acts could learn a lot from listening to this, though I doubt it’s as easy as Lettie makes it seem. recommended.

DAVID FLINT

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