Rocktrospectiva: The Lovely And Well-Crafted "Lovelife" Turns 30

Originally released on 18 March 1996 "Lovelife" was the third and final studio album by English rock band Lush. It was released on 18 March 1996 by 4AD. On Lovelife, the band moved away from their earlier dream pop and shoegazing style and embraced a more Britpop-oriented sound. 

The album was produced by Pete Bartlett and the band at Protocol Studios in London, and engineered by Giles Hall. The album spawned three singles: "Single Girl", "Ladykillers", and "500 (Shake Baby Shake)", all of which achieved moderate success on the UK Singles Chart, reaching the top 30 positions. 

Lush first two albums were firmly entrenched in shoegaze style sound-a-like as Slowdive and Sleeper, but this time, the band decided to put a stake on britpop sound and produced three lovely singles from the Britpop era. The band marked a shift in sound, from shimmering introspection to confidently upbeat indie and sparkling, hook-laden pop. But while the melodies became catchier the four-piece didn’t compromise their integrity, and this album represents no cynical pursuit for money by joined the Britpop bandwagon. Compared to albums of the time from the likes of Cast, Menswear and Shed Seven, all of which have dated terribly, Lovelife on the other hand standed up so well to contemporary scrutiny. 

The scene idol Jarvis Cocker descended from his lofty perch above the wannabe pack to duet with singer Miki Berenyi on "Ciao!", "Papasan" was a stripped-bare affair, the interwoven voices of Berenyi and Emma Anderson truly raising the hairs, and Tralala is the atmospheric opposite of its onomatopoeically jolly title, a downbeat delight. "Heavenly Nobodies" was about her and a friend's star-struck encounter with Hole frontwoman Courtney Love. She also added that the song was not intended as a dig towards her, and that the riff was inspired by the Monkees and the Kinks.

"Single Girl" proved to be one of the band's largest hits, though the band's discomfort with the more commercial sound of the song almost led to its shelving. Berenyi recalled, "Pete [Bartlett] knew 'Single Girl' was a single right off the bat but says: 'You and Emma seemed almost embarrassed by the idea of commercial success and Emma kept trying to dismiss it as a B-side'. 

"Ladykillers" and "500 (Shake Baby Shake)" were the hits that evoked memories of teenage days where all possibilities seemed achievable, where one's future wasn’t written by forefathers or schooling limitations. Unfortunately, it was a true tragedy that the band's upward trajectory was so dramatically halted in October 1996, when drummer Chris Acland committed suicide. 

Lovelife was a bittersweet collection of songs crafted so well in the first place that they were effectively withstood the ravages of time. And those singles, with their sing-or-shout-along choruses, rightfully remain indie-club classics to this day. 

 

Lovelife Track List: 

 

1. Ladykillers

2. Heavenly Nobodies

3. 500 (Shake Baby Shake)

4. I've Been Here Before

5. Papasan

6. Single Girl

7. Ciao!

8. Tralala

9. Last Night

10. Runaway

11. The Childcatcher

12. Olympia