Words by Tom McGhie
South London based Hotel Lux have released the third and last single from forthcoming LP debut ‘Hands Across the Creek’, out 27 January on indie label state51 Conspiracy.
At Points of View’s core is vocalist Lewis Duffin’s deranged social commentary to a backdrop of hooky bass lines and apathetic 70s-style guitars.
Duffin’s wobbly retort of “paint a picture of a modern world, put the pieces back together” gives the impression of a writhing narrator grappling with the complexities of present life. “We spend a lot of time worrying,” said the lead singer.
“The song ended up being one of the first demos we had for Hands…” he continued. “Except it was one of the last tunes to be finished. Despite existing in many forms, Points of View ended up being what we feel is a natural, comfortable bridge between the previous EP and our debut album.”
The track also sees the Portsmouth-raised quintet return to the swaggering, Stranglers-esque “pub rock” that defined early releases like 2017’s Envoi and The Last Hangman. Wildly oscillating keys adorn the verses, and there’s even a triumphant 16-bar guitar solo towards the end of the song. Birthed from the Windmill Brixton “scene” of 2016/17 along with Goat Girl, Shame and co, of all their peers, Hotel Lux’s lurching brand of post-punk wears the most obvious influences from the guitar bands of yore.
Watch 'Points of View':
Directed by BAFTA Cymru-winning filmmaker Ewan Jones Morris, Points of View’s frenetic music video captures much of the vulnerability that creeps through the band’s forthcoming album. Never though, do Hotel Lux’s very English idiosyncrasies creep into the self indulgent, offset as they are by the band’s signature self-effacing wit.
Hotel Lux are set to embark upon a UK/EU tour starting in February, a string of dates including a headline slot at The Dome in London.
Hotel Lux on tour:
Feb 1st | Belgium - Antwerp - Trix Café Feb 2nd | Netherlands - Amsterdam - Paradiso Feb 3rd | Netherlands - Rotterdam - V11 Feb 4th | Germany - Hamburg - Nochtwache Feb 5th | Germany - Cologne - Helios37 Feb 7th | France - Lille - L'Aéronef Feb 8th | France - Paris - Petit Bain Feb 9th | France - Orleans - Astrolabe Feb 10th | France - Lyon - Le Transbordeur Feb 11th | France - Clermont Ferrand - La Cooperative de Mai Feb 13th | France - Bordeaux - Rock School Barbey Feb 14th | France - La Rochelle - La Sirene Feb 15th | France - Reims - La Cartonnerie Feb 17th | UK - Brighton - Green Door Store Feb 18th | UK - Birmingham - Dead Wax Feb 19th | UK - Manchester - Deaf Institute Feb 20th | UK - Glasgow - Audio Feb 21st | UK - Leeds - Key Club Feb 22nd | UK - Milton Keynes - Craufurd Arms Feb 23rd | UK - Bristol - Exchange Feb 24th | UK - London - The Dome Feb 25th | UK - Portsmouth - Staggeringly Good
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