Kitty, Daisy and Lewis - Kitty, Daisy and Lewis III

Three years after releasing Smoking in Heaven, the Durham siblings are back with the appropriately named Kitty, Daisy & Lewis the Third, the long-awaited follow up for fans of their live performances, but also confirming their credentials as songwriters. A tour with Coldplay, a move from their crowded front room into a disused Indian restaurant in Camden to create a more spacious analogue studio, and bringing in Mick Jones (The Clash) as producer have all contributed to an album of maturity and direction, but without losing their authentic live energy. The end product has a new more confident sound, with Daisy sounding deliciously like Paloma Faith on Never Get Back and Feeling of Wonder, and Kitty assuming an air of carefree freedom in the ska vibe of Turkish Delight. Lewis, meanwhile, remains true to his timbre on the single Baby Bye Bye, Good Looking Woman and the skiffle lament to London town Developer's Disease. As the family, including mum Ingrid on double bass and dad Graeme on rhythm guitar, prepare for three UK dates before jetting off around Europe and America, we eagerly await the inevitable festival appearances this summer to further spread the gospel according to Durham. This album has reverence for the past, but with one ear now firmly on the present. A crowning glory.

8/10

Three years after releasing Smoking in Heaven, the Durham siblings are back with the appropriately named Kitty, Daisy & Lewis the Third, the long-awaited follow up for fans of their live performances, but also confirming their credentials as songwriters. A tour with Coldplay, a move from their crowded front room into a disused Indian restaurant in Camden to create a more spacious analogue studio, and bringing in Mick Jones (The Clash) as producer have all contributed to an album of maturity and direction, but without losing their authentic live energy. The end product has a new more confident sound, with Daisy sounding deliciously like Paloma Faith on Never Get Back and Feeling of Wonder, and Kitty assuming an air of carefree freedom in the ska vibe of Turkish Delight. Lewis, meanwhile, remains true to his timbre on the single Baby Bye Bye, Good Looking Woman and the skiffle lament to London town Developer's Disease. As the family, including mum Ingrid on double bass and dad Graeme on rhythm guitar, prepare for three UK dates before jetting off around Europe and America, we eagerly await the inevitable festival appearances this summer to further spread the gospel according to Durham. This album has reverence for the past, but with one ear now firmly on the present. A crowning glory.