Lucky Elephant – Star Sign Trampoline

Star Sign Trampoline is perfect soundtrack for mad Pimms sessions down by the sea. Led by a sultry Frenchman who adds a touch of effortless cool over harmonies and more harmonies.; Emmanuel ‘Manu’ Labescat’s unique Gallic twang prevent Lucky Elephant from being just another card in the pack.

This is a pleasant album, the neat mix of wurlitzers, harmoniums and the occasional smatter of more contemporary afro-beat rhythms popularized by Vampire Weekend by way of Paul Simon’s Graceland. The Lucky Elephant sound is chilled out, delicate even and it is easy to turn a blind eye to the lyrics that talk of the thankless grind of day to day modern life.

The authentic production makes the listen one that is comforting, tracks such as ‘Modern Life, Changing People’ and ‘Neptune’ are poignant and soft.  Yet you get the impression that Lucky Elephant have breathed in too much sea air, the high point of the album, the jaunty ‘Edgar’ is befitting of the Isle of Wight’s empty-headed hedonism, being based on the island seems to give the band a real detachment from what I would call real drudgery. Had Lucky Elephant been based in Great Yarmouth or Blackpool then we might have heard ‘proper’ songs of disenchantment rather than just bemoaning getting stuck the middle class rut. Still when Manu addresses the impact of tourism taking away the heartbeat of his small fishing town on ‘The Pier’, the concerns appear genuine.

Star Sign Trampoline has some glorious moments, such as the enchanting ‘Reverend Tilsey and his Magic Lantern’ and the reflective ‘Red Ties Vs The Bees’. This album is a surprise, a real sleeper that a lot of people will probably ignore. I can only urge everybody to get this album and take it down to the coast on a sunny day, it is this summer that the album will be at its most absorbable. Lay in the sun and soak it in.