There's been a fair bit of chatter about Lydia on various music blogs and i found myself waiting anxiously for this album to come out without even hearing any of the band's music before. Such is the effect hype can have on a band I guess. And while that hype hasn't translated well in the national, mainstream press yet, I guess it will. Lydia, at times, are a beautiful prospect, backed up by a male/female vocal system which, when it's on song, is simply beautiful. 'Stay Awake', for example, sees the vocalist trade vocal blows in such a graceful way it really is like Mohammed Ali - they float like butterflies but their harmonies sting like bees.
So why does this record not score higher? Well at times 'Illuminate' fails to light up my stereo and aimlessly drifts; a couple of tracks in the middle of the record are a little dreary. They just don't hit the spot as some of the others do. 'I Woke Up Near The Sea' is a lovely track with a bombastic bassline and well placed strings, but there are a few tracks here which don't live up to the ambition the band show. And that's maybe why the mainstream press are still to pick up on Lydia. Their talent is undoubted; I just wonder if they have the consistency to write a truly great record.
