Hotel Lux: 'Hands Across The Creek'
Enriching their razor-sharp sound with new-found emotional depths, Hotel Lux are proving that they’re far more than just another post-punk band on their full-length debut, ‘Hands Across The Creek’, out Friday via The state51 Conspiracy.
A long time in the making, the band’s beginnings can be charted through the ranks of the South London scene, making their name alongside industry heavy hitters like Shame and Sorry. Their debut EP, ‘Barstool Preaching’, quickly followed in 2020 and with that release, they earmarked themselves as ‘ones to watch’. However, the onset of the pandemic put a stop to their meteoric rise and difficult times subsequently followed. “It was most fragile we’ve been,” bassist Cam Smith explains. Despite this, the band managed to find the strength to reset, regroup and set their sights on putting together their debut record. Picking up where they left off back in 2020, the band have further shaped their sound with the addition of two new members, Max Oliver and Dillon Hope, who’ve helped produce a record that crackles with wit and profound self-awareness, easily standing out as their best work to date.
The album’s opening number ‘Old Timer’ is vintage Hotel Lux; lead vocalist Lewis Duffin employs his brusque, trademark tone to dismantle any ideals of traditional masculinity with the track's unforgettable chorus, “I only saw my dad cry once / and it was at the football”. its cutting-edge verses that so confidently name-check the “nine to five grind” and their collective ability to “rip off The Fall”. Set against a backdrop of flailing guitars, chugging baselines and whiling Blackpool Tower organs, the record sizzles from the outset however, some of the best moments come during its quieter intervals as the band explores new sonic territory.
Duffin has claimed that ‘An Ideal For Living’, ‘Morning After Mourning’ and ‘Eazy Being Lazy’ are his three favourite tracks, not just from the album but also from the band’s entire back catalogue. These cuts prove to be a far cry from any of Hotel Lux’s material to date and show a much more tender side to the group. ‘An Ideal For Living’ is a particular highlight; roughly strummed acoustic guitars coalesce with a beautiful piano melody, creating a track that is reminiscent of Pete Doherty’s greatest writing. Lines like “I could be destined for glory or destined for nothing” provide that very same visceral kick to the guts that was seemingly ever-present in the best work of both The Libertines and Babyshambles.
On ‘Hands Across The Creek’ Hotel Lux prove that their dry wit and humour are still at the forefront of their sonic product, as they lyrically eviscerate the myriad caricatures that we encounter on a day-to-day basis. Though pointing to the band’s future, the record clearly proves their songwriting capabilities stretch far beyond their penchant for playfulness, wading deep into emotional territory.
