Skinny Lister - A Matter of Life & Love
One of my favourite gigs of the pre-Christmas lockdown loosening was the return of London folk-punks Skinny Lister to Norwich Arts Centre. 'A Matter of Life and Love' had been released about a month earlier, but somehow, the request to review it must have got buried in a pile of gift wrap and discarded lateral flow tests. Which is a real shame because, like that evening in November, this album provides a rousing and anthemic two fingers to coronavirus and its evil attempts to shut down live music and all the good folk whose livelihoods depend on it.
Starting with the Celtic singalong banger 'Shout It Out', Skinny Lister take us on a joyous voyage of pop and folk proportion, invoking the spirit of Madness on 'Tough Stuff Like Us', and allowing Lorna Thomas' vocals to provide Kirsty MacColl-like flourishes to 'Embers' and an almost Blondie-like feel to 'Like It's The First Time'. Bristol shantymen The Longest Johns join them on 'Damn The Amsterdam' to deliver a stirring shanty, and 'Bonny's Eyes' is given a 2022 remix as this gentle love song is earmarked for a single release in time for Valentine's Day.
But its the anthemic stirrings of songs like 'Shoulder to Shoulder' and the new-wave shoutalong in 'Life At A Loose End' that illustrate how comfortably Skinny Lister straddle that bridge between city and county, and a sense that we really are all in this together. And before we get bogged down in looking for someone to blame, there is the gloriously happy-go-luck drinking song 'Breakfast At Heathrow' that celebrates those wonderful pre-flight pints of Guinness, hopefully declaring that holidays are back, and foreign beaches beckon.
'History' may reflect on the last two years, but Skinny Lister do it with style, a sense of triumph, and a huge sigh of relief. After all, it is all a matter of life and love.
8/10
