SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: WEATHERELL – LONELY SOUL

WEATHERELL
LONELY SOUL
INDEPENDENT

A deeply personal album, Lonely Soul is a departure for Sean Hackl (hence the unique name for the project). He explores new themes here, with grief and loss at the centre, which explain some of the heart-wrenching, emotional lyrics on the record, some of which will genuinely make you stop and think, especially on the title track. Musically, it has its roots in a lot of fun stuff and sounds like it – from Smiths-based riffs on the opener to the general Britpop sheen of it all, in some ways it feels like a step back in time – but that’s not a negative. It results in a tuneful listen, with the whole thing drenched in memorable guitar hooks and, essentially, noise. But it avoids the trap that some ‘loudness war’ albums do, because enough space is carved out for his voice and lyrics to come through perfectly, while still adding interesting bits of influence all over the place. I was particularly taken with the title track and the amount of psychedelia it drenches itself in, because I don’t think you could give a better example of what this album brings. At times, you’ll wonder if you’re listening to something from the 80s, 90s, or now, but that’s no critique. This would stand up anywhere, and the journey it takes you on as a result is well worth your time.

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