LIGHTNING SEEDS: Jollification (Epic)

MAYBE it’s a personal thing, but the sight of huge multicoloured strawberries on the cover of Jollification unnerves me greatly. One word springs immediately to mind: Flashback. And as for the faces smiling out from where the seeds should be . . .

Other than the cover, which incidentally is scented with strawberry, the album is reasonably sane and down-to-earth. The opening ‘Perfect’ is an upbeat, light and breezy tune where Ian Broudie attempts to get to grips with the concept of time: “Now tomorrow’s here today/And yesterday’s todays just fade away”. Then there’s the wonderfully catchy pop of ‘Change’ or the World Party-like feel to the single ‘Lucky You’ to be going on with.

Some of the album veers towards the mind-expansion usually only afforded by use of illicit substances. ‘Open Goals’ is all laid-back funk before Broudie’s voice whispers in, “Woke up and smiled this morning/Wishes swam like fishes in my head/I rub my eyes as all the reasons/ Chase the demons from my bed”. Charming. ‘Why, Why, Why’ is a dancy trancey trip, sung ably by Marina Van Rody. In fact Broudie gets quite a lot of help with the vocals on this album, such luminaries as Ian McNabb, Terry Hall and Alison Moyet popping up as backing singers. ‘My Best Day’ features Ms Moyet dueting with Broudie, as they serve up a mini-drama of the heart.

‘Marvellous’ is reminiscent of New Order at their best, pure mid-’80s Brit pop bringing back those, er, halcyon days of Kajagoogoo and Haircut 100. ‘Feeling Lazy’ has a Morrissey slant running through it, casually acerbic state-of-the-nation lyrics arranged in an unobtrusive “If you want me I’ll be hiding in the corner” kind of way.

Throughout the ten songs on Jollification Broudie’s bright vocal style and easy production work lend a gentle air to even the most serious subject matter, like on ‘Punch and Judy’ which explores the problems of violence in the home. “Baby’s eyes are black/She’s taken all her clothes/She’s never coming back/The yes turned into no.”

All in all, Jollification is an interesting, amiable jog through the mind of its creator, Ian Broudie, as he experiments with various styles, and serves up a few lyrical and musical gems on the way. Reasons to be cheerful.

• John Walshe