The Lunar Towers are a four-piece hailing from Cheltenham and now residing in London. They consist of Rory Moore (bass/vocals), Joe Richardson (guitars/vocals), Rob Sewell (guitars/vocals), and Bradley Hillier-Smith (drums).
Rory and Joe met by chance in a French class at school and bonded over music, Oasis t-shirts, and Morrissey haircuts. They have recently recorded with The Moons frontman and Paul Weller multi-instrumentalist Andy Crofts, a sure sign of genuine talent.
After the singles ‘Wire’ and ‘Happy As Larry’ were picked up by Shindig magazine, Radio X, and BBC Introducing in the summer, they’ve returned with their debut EP ‘Hurry Up and Wait’. Here’s our track-by-track review:
*Images and artwork courtesy of The Songbird HQ
‘Hurry Up and Wait’ is available to buy on their Bandcamp page.
Plastic Glass Towers
The rippling guitars of Derby peers Marseille can shimmer on the darkest of winter days. Not content with bringing the sunshine to grey landscapes, they have Teenage Fanclub’s innate ability to conjure an escapist momentum to revel in.
There’s a ramshackle beauty to Sewell’s vocals which evokes Pastels’ Creation Records era. The abrasive yet beautiful delivery gives them a joyous us versus the world sonic!
Pillar 2 Post
This time out, Richardson takes the vocal lead which transforms the bands sound. Blessed with the smokiness of Elliot Smith, the lo-fi drawl of Lou Barlow, and the joy of The Orchids’ James Hackett, It allows their sunny disposition to roam free.
The sumptuous guitars meander with the effortless beauty of Lawrence in his Felt days and the folk-indie magic of Belle & Sebastian. What prevents them from becoming just another indie band with a nice jangle is the directness of the solo. It brings Teenage Fanclub and Goa Express into play which broadens their horizons and therefore, future excitement exponentially.
Southern Love
With The Byrds in their hearts, they set sail for the Laurel Canyon. McGinn’s guitars and crosby’s soulful vocals are reimagined to a scintillating effect. The urgency is instant. The vitality is necessary! This is rock ‘n’ roll at its absolute best. Desperate to set the soul free from its trappings via art and integrity.
Back To You
Vocally, Moore has found a sweet spot between the abrasive Pete Shelly and The Jacques’ Finn O’Brien. What makes him more special is the re-homing of the punk spirits in this gentler sonic.
The guitars have the warming glow of Richard Hawley in a parallel universe where he joined forces with Strangelove and Luke Haines to conjure an awkward yet endearing form of crooning.