The Lilac Time |
| The Lilac Time The Lilac Time Lilac 6 - released Monday 8th October Live at Borders, Oxford Street - Monday 8th October 2001 'A confection of perfection, perhaps not, but my greatest work of art so far....' claimed a certain Stephen Tin Tin Duffy on the sleeve of his first solo album back in 1985. That album The Ups and Downs was in parts just that. The foppishly handsome Tin Tins brilliant pop songs were indicative of the age, but it was his haunting ballads Done For and Wednesday Jones, that shone through and lodged in the mind. A taste of things to come. A further five solo albums followed, including the critically acclaimed collaboration with Nigel Kennedy Music in Colours. In between times Duffy, in collaboration with amongst others his brother Nick Duffy and Michael Giri, formed The Lilac Time, producing five astonishingly good albums between 1987 and 1999. Somehow mainstream success has eluded them, but with their imaginatively-titled sixth album Lilac 6 released on October 8th, there's another chance for the genius that is Duffy to at last be acknowledged and rewarded. Arguably the most talented and tragically unrecognised singer-songwriter of our time, Stephen Duffys extraordinary blend of folk-pop, acoustic guitar-lead anthems inspire. Master of both the up-beat pop sing-a-long-a-chorus and emotion-soaked ballad, each album proves the perfect blend of Ups and Downs and takes the listener on a journey through variably Duffys early years, first love, failed romances and career highs and lows. With a velvety smooth voice, that by his own admission, 'would steam up the windows' Duffys intelligent, poetic lyrics manage to incorporate such lines as 'our worn maps of consciousness sometimes need to be redrawn' and 'all for love and love for all' without sounding like the back cover of an angst-ridden teenagers exercise book. It is in short, poetry. The recently released Compendium. The Fontana Trinity is a double album of favourites from The Lilac Times first three albums and is quite simply breathtaking. How they have escaped the Top 40 for so long is one of the unanswerable questions on a par with what do you mean, Bob the Builder is number one? With Lilac 6, released on October 8th, The Lilac Time throw their hat into the arena again for a chance of critical acclaim and market success. The former is a guaranteed cert, the latter is anyones guess. However, anyone lucky enough to catch a live performance, as I was fortunate enough to do at Borders in Oxford Street recently, will not fail to be completely won over. Duffy, acoustic guitar in hand, was joined by Claire Worrall on vocal and piano in the comfortably small venue. As the first notes started of The Girl who Waves at Trains the audience shuffled closer, keen to get nearer to the relaxed-looking Duffy and his effortlessly emotion-charged performance. For a live acoustic set in a book shop, it was stunning in its simplicity. Duffys humourous quips with the audience where perfect foil for the slower numbers which had the thirty-something crowd swaying, if not cheering, with appreciation. His passion for his craft comes over vividly in his performance; his passion for lifes passion even more so in his truly evocative lyrics and perfect delivery. My Forest Brown a new track from Lilac 6 brought, surprisingly perhaps, the biggest cheer of the night with its blend of folk/country/pop up-beat foot-tapping wholesomeness. Despite this, Lilac 6 seems to have received little or no media attention, scant radio play and (apart from the Borders performance and one the following night at The Mac Bar in Camden) minimal promotional backing from Cooking Vinyl. It is simply a great shame that more people can not hear Duffys blent folk/pop talent. For talent it is. A confection of perfection? I think its as close as you can get. Why not see for yourself? Lilac 6 is out now and available from larger record stores. By Paula Norris |