SWEET JANE - SUGAR FOR MY SOUL
(Reekus Records)

We reviewed Sweet Jane’s last single Close My Eyes a while back, and now we have the album to savour. And pretty good stuff this is too. Opening up with pulsating rocker Bleed, where male and female vocals battle it out in an instantly infectious foot stomper, the album sets out its stall right away.

But its not all anthemic psychedelic rock – I’ve Been Waitin’ is a chilled bluesy number that has a Mazzy Star feel about it, building nicely as it goes and showcasing Lydia de Dolles gorgeous vocals. Mixing in with Danda Paxton’s moody, edgier-than-usual indie boy vox, the track, like much of the album, brings to mind not just the aforementioned Mazzy Star, but also Jesus and Mary Chain and other shoe-gazing, floating indie pop of that era – no bad thing.

There are plenty of similarly excellent moments here – the jangly, floaty trip of Black Eyes, the eerie beauty of Save a Little Place, the acoustic stomper Where’s Your Money?, the fuzztastic You’re Making This Hard, the hauntingly, discordantly gorgeous Don’t You Hold Your Head So Low… all winners.

The album ends with Fade to my Heartbreak, which returns things to the epic, anthemic rock that opened the album, spiced up with a swirling epicness that is positively inspirational.

This is a glorious collection of magnificently out of time tunes, a rare diamond glittering in the shit of modern indie music. Existing outside any easily defined genre categorisation, this will be a real treat to any open minded music lover..

DAVID FLINT

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