LIDO

Compounding the more imaginative elements of UK guitar music from the last decade and a half into their debut album Lido, Clearlake resemble a lot of other bands while masterfully managing to sound like themselves. Singer Jason Pegg's purposefully glamour-free vocals, plain-spoken lyrics and ability to add spark to the mundane add the necessary distinction for "I Hang on Every Word You Say" and "Don't Let The Cold In" or "Let Go" and "These Things Are Sent to Try Us", while providing the light-hearted pop spin as they indulge their morose side on just about everything else. Their sly humour and clever melodies, when set to their darkest backdrops ("Sunday Evening", and "Winterlight") display an undeniably potent charm.