The music of The Perfect English Weather sounds like you'd expect from a band with a name like that. That's not a diss, but sort of a compliment at the mood captured here on the duo's new record. Just Beyond the Lights is an album that sounds like the mood one might have on a rainy Sunday in England, when the sun's going down and the kettle's on. That kind of thing.
Opener "Pilgrimage" is elegant and lovely, Wendy's voice multi-tracked behind her lead. The tone is brighter a bit on "Paperback Reader", a modestly more upbeat melody anchoring this one. Lots of The Perfect English Weather may make a listener think of Sarah Cracknell's solo works, or even Yank outfit Ivy ("For An Angel" especially). And "London-by-the-Sea" reveals a faint hint of inspiration taken from the later works by The Sundays. Things don't jangle quite as much, but this is uniformly lovely stuff, with a distinct perspective on the English experience. That kind of thing translates well into the sort of music I tend to gravitate to, and I'm assuming anyone reading this site probably feels the same way.
The best way to describe Just Beyond the Lights is that it is a sort of concept album. I'm not saying that there's a story here, but that the album is one where the songs feel connected, at least in terms of mood. And the entire thing is looking at life in England in a very specific way, one that sees the gloom as sort of a balm. The Perfect English Weather found a way to channel that whole vibe consistently over the span of a whole record. In that sense, this is a release best listened to in order, and all at once. So I guess it kind of is a concept album. In a way.
Just Beyond the Lights by The Perfect English Weather is out now via Matinée Recordings.
[Photo: Matinée Recordings]