Brighton, England’s Lovejoy is like every other lovable Matinee Records artist in that the songs take you back to a day when Sarah Records ruled the land with indie pop artists that have come to influence a lot of the music I listen to today. Other definites with Matinee releases are Morrissey and The Smiths references and retro covers. A Taste of the High Life is no different with its ancient indy-car cover and Morrissey-style pop.

While not necessarily as jangly as other artists that fall into the genre of twee, the other components make Lovejoy and twee a perfect match. “Getting Away With It All” kicks off the A-Side as soft vocals compliment synthesizers and a few light acoustic guitars with an electric hiding in the mix. It is the mirror image of the second B-Side track, “Winter L.D.”, which mixes in spoken vocals that echo behind the instrumental version of the A-Side. “Merry Go Round”, the first B-Side track, is filled with la-las, upbeat vocals, and a quickly strummed acoustic. Lovejoy produces lazy summer music perfect for a warm Sunday afternoon.

This review was originally published June 26, 2006 on the old version of FensePost.

Matinee Records [7" Single, 2000]

1. Getting Away With It All
2. Merry Go Round
3. Winter L.D.