British jangle pop combo
the Lathums made a rapid ascent from earnest Wigan lads to hotly tipped Island signees. Within a year of their early-2019 formation, the four-piece had a major-label contract and a sold-out headlining tour to their credit as well as a string of popular singles and EPs. Even the COVID-19 pandemic failed to dampen the band's momentum; their grand return to live performance in May 2021 at Liverpool's Sefton Park was recorded and released as a foretaste of their debut album. With their warm, breezy melodies and unrelenting sincerity,
the Lathums are a comfort-bringing balm to an audience exhausted and anxious from years of cascading tumult.
How Beautiful Life Can Be is not a particularly great or even good album, but there is something in its bright tone and positive messaging that feels undeniably nurturing, especially in the climate of late 2021. With a tuneful lilt and
Smithsian jangle that evokes sunnier days, frontman Alex Moore offers salvation on good-natured cuts like "I'll Get By," "Oh My Love," and the buoyant title track. Gratitude, acceptance, and love are
the Lathums' lifeblood, and even when they kick on the distortion or dip into the minor keys, their youthful spirit remains undiminished. It's an attribute that can also work against them, especially on some of the more cloyingly simplistic numbers. But when yours is a heaping dish of comfort food among a menu of cynicism, it's hard not to choose nourishment. ~ Timothy Monger