ALBUM REVIEW: Hotel Lux – Hands Across The Creek

State51 Conspiracy

Released: 27.01.23

There’s a distinct classic Dury-led Blockhead groove underlying the caustically observant lyrics of vocalist Lewis Duffin, now joined by two new members in this much lauded band that were expecting high achievements before the pandemic hit.

What that extra time has resulted in, other than losing a guitarist and incorporating new blood, is another level of songwriting refining their maturing sound ahead of this, their debut album. Songs of awkward masculinity, toxic social structures and culturally suppressed, tender emotional insights yearning to be proclaimed are pulled together into tightly constructed indie-tinged, jangly guitars, punk sentiment and clever English pop. As a whole, it’s such a refreshing sound – the future, I believe, is still bright for these guys.