THE LATHUMS — ‘MATTER DOES NOT DEFINE’

Writer’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Lathums are back with their most recent record Matter Does Not Define, aiming for their third consecutive No. 1 album with this release. It’s sure to be an album which will go straight to the top as it’s probably the band's best album to date. The album’s title comes from the second track ‘Reasons of Lessons Left’, plucked from the lyrics “When will they learn it’s not matter that defines a being”.

Matter Does Not Define feels like it shows a band that are discovering their depths as artists. To me, it feels like a musical adventure, with tracks that are enjoyable and have some of the best material The Lathums has ever put out. Lead singer Alex Moore continuously goes on to write some of the best of the band's lyrics on this album, which showcases him as not only one of the top indie vocalists but one of the top lyricists too. The singer's voice has become unique to the band's sound with its power mixed and its Wigan-like twang. I feel like his voice is something that has often drawn people to the band’s music.

Scott Concepcion‘s guitar is also a huge stand out on this album and provides some of the best sounding guitar solos which have become a signature in making a quality Lathums track. This is highlighted on tracks like ‘Stellar Cast’ and ‘Dynamite’. This album sees the first full appearance of bass player Matt Murphy who has provided a welcome addition to the band's sound. You can tell that it is a band that has a clear chemistry which flows well throughout all the members. Matter Does Not Define starts with the song ‘Leave No Stone Unturned’, a great opener, this sounds like something straight out of a Western. It sounds rather twangy mixed with The Lathums more modern style of sound. A song that sets the album’s sights from the get-go in an album which isn’t afraid to experiment with its sound. ‘Heartbreaker’ is another fun track, which holds more of an experimental sound previously mentioned with ‘Leave No Stone Unturned’. It sounds similar to an early 2000s sort of vibe, sort of like early The Stroke’s songs, especially with the guitar solo in this track as it feels it could be on ‘Someday’ by The Strokes.

‘Dynamite’ follows which also feels experimental, perfectly placed next to ‘Heartbreaker’. The song is perhaps reminiscent of Wigan’s northern soul roots. The song reminds me of something you would dance to back at Wigan Casino. We then get to the midpoint in the album where it starts to take more of a slower feel, which is something that is much needed here. With the track ‘Unrequited Love’ we get a beautiful-sounding ballad with some heartfelt lyrics. I especially like the lyrics “When you scratch the surface, paint comes off, colours that were bright, but no longer see the light”. These lyrics resonated with me listening to this track. This is a really beautiful song, one of their most lovely sounding sadder songs.

I think that this was a good inclusion on the album to show the band's range, especially with ‘No Direction’ coming straight after this. ‘Unrequited Love’ gives the album a slow point, whilst ‘No Direction’ gives the album much-needed speed after this. The track feels like a wake-up call and feels like a powerful set opening song which I have seen them open with during the show at Feast At The Mills back in December. This is a song that is a real energetic crowd-pleaser.

‘The Jester’ is another storytelling track that has such an enjoyable rhythm, mixed with some really good lyrics. The song is also a sort of sequel to an older Lathums song, ‘Wickerman’. The idea of ‘The Jester’ is first brought up in that song. It’s fun to get a sequel to that song, It has a similar melody to that song but has been applied in creating this song. Before the final track comes ‘Surrounded by Beauty’, one of the most fun-sounding tracks which features Red Rum Club's Joe Corby on the trumpet. This gives the track a Red Rum Club Vibe.

The album then ends with the single ‘Long Shadows’, a song that the band can be proud of as it highlights Alex Moore’s talent when it comes to song-writing, providing one of the most raw and beautiful songs the band has come out with. It also sounds very atmospheric, something I have not seen as much with Lathums songs in the past. It’s good to see them experiment with a more atmospheric style. This track is also further expressed with its music video. The Lathums have created another good solid album with Matter Does Not Define and it feels like they are getting better and better with everything they release. This also feels like an album that doesn’t slow down, but when it does it provides a reason for it to slow down. I look forward to seeing what the band brings out next.

There is also a bonus track on the album which can be listened to via the Dinked Edition of the vinyl, a special edition only available at selected indie record shops. The track named ‘Love Of My Life’ is a beautiful song about the end of love and still having those questions. The song is one of the most beautiful love songs the band has put out. You can see the band on tour this March and April with major tour dates at the 02 Apollo Manchester on the 10th and 11th of April, along with a major date in Leeds for Sounds of the City , supported by The Royston Club.