Reviewers are often critisised for comparing new music to The Beatles, but Lawrence Arabia’s Chant Darling is cut almost without fault from The Beatles back catalogue. The melodies are swift, harmonies undeniably catchy, James Milne’s voice sounds like John Lennon and the instrumentation is straight out of the 1960s. Chant Darling takes you on a diverse journey, creating a thorough flashback through the ‘Fab Four’s’ wonderful career. Opening track ‘Look Like A Fool’ would fit perfectly on The White Album, ‘The Undesirables’, the most experimental sounding of the tracks, crosses over between The Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt. Peppers, as does ‘Eye A’, while ‘The Crew Of The Commodore’ throws on a Abby Rd style dress. There’s the silliness in ‘Apple Pie Bed’, the psychedelic in ‘The Undesirables’, the bubblegum pop in ‘The Beautiful Young Crew’ and the hard rock hooks in ‘Fine Old Friends’. Unfortunately while the songs echo The Beatles, some of them don’t quite peak at the same level. ‘I’ve Smoked To Much’ dies a little towards the end of the album and doesn’t quite meet the quality of the other tracks. Likewise on opening track ‘Look Like A Fool’, which feeds a little on the ear due to its strong, slightly overcompensated vocals. Otherwise Chant Darling is a truly great record; the closest someone has come to The Beatles in years but with just enough pizzazz to be Lawrence Arabia’s own unique creation. Nick
