Postcards from Heaven --- Lighthouse Family --- 1997 (Polydor)
A “family” of only two, Lighthouse Family produced three albums between 1995 and 2001. “Postcards from Heaven” was their second, and in terms of commerciality, the most successful. The music of the duo, a mix of light pop, soul and some jazz influences with just a little of the blues thrown in, struck a chord with the record-buying public of the 90s, and this album went to the number two slot in their native UK, yielding five singles, three of which reached the top ten.
Comprising vocalist Tunde Baiyewu and keyboard player and much-less-exotically-named Paul Tucker, Lighthouse Family were regular inhabitants of the charts during the late nineties. The album starts off as it means to go on, with a nice funky, jazzy upbeat number called “Raincloud”, with a really catchy tune, and distinctive vocals from Tunde, and what I assume must be drum machines, as no drummer is credited on the album. Obviously very keyboard oriented, the track gives the impression almost of seventies disco but at a slower pace, or perhaps the softer side of motown. It's polished, classy and very listenable. Despite the negative-sounding title, it's actually a very optimistic song:
It's been too long now/ We been living under a raincloud.”
From the very start it's hard to believe this is just two guys: the feel is of a full band, so I can only assume Paul Tucker is a real keyboard wizard. “Once in a blue moon” is pretty much in the same vein as the opener, and you have to give this album double-thumbs-up for the production, which is clean, crisp and spot-on. There are lovely string sections in this song, which again I must imagine come from the magic keyboard of Tucker. “Question of faith” puts me in mind of the Isley Brothers, with some nice synth-flutes and whistles helping to give the track also a kind of latin/caribbean slant, while “Let it all change” is
funk noir with bright piano and baritone sax, and a funky bass line.
The over-arching theme that comes through from this album is one of bright optimism. Some of the songs do touch on the problems with the world, but each of them is concerned with making them right, and knowing this can be done, if only by little people like you and me. It's a refreshing slant on songwriting, and listening to the album does kind of give you a lift. Got too much doom metal in your musical diet? Tired of hearing emo bands crying about how unfair the world is, or punk outfits telling us how we're all gonna burn? Stick this on your ipod and learn to smile again, and see the world through perhaps rose-tinted glasses, but whose wearers have a clear purpose and a determination to change things.
The highlight of the album (though it's all very good) comes in a clutch of three songs, two of which were hit singles, so you may know them already. The one that wasn't, is next, and it's called “Sun in the night”, a lovely slow ballad with flute opening and a lovely little keyboard intro joined by some truly exceptional piano. It's really hard not to relax while listening to this album, it's so laid-back. I mean, this is a ballad, but there's nothing really on the album that could be even classed as fast, or rocky. “Raincloud” is about as fast as they get, and it's not that fast. It's all kept at a really sedate, though never boring, pace, and it works really well. It helps that Tunde has that sort of voice that you just want to croon you a lullaby. If he has kids, they're lucky.
Second of the trio is “High”, which if you were around at the time you will have heard, as it was never off the radio. It's another feelgood song, a little faster than “Sun in the night” (though not much), with nice handclaps (yeah, I know I said elsewhere that I hate them, but here they're appropriate, and they work) carrying the drumbeat, happy backing vocals and silky keyboard as Tunde sings
”We are gonna be/ Forever you and me/ Always keepin' flying high/ In the sky of love.” Simple idea, something we all want. Cool melody, great vocals equal hit song. And deservedly so.
The last of these three is another top ten single, the totally gorgeous “Lost in space”. This came out around the same time as the film, so initially I thought maybe it was from the movie. It's not, just pure coincidence. An excellent song, although to be fair I'm kind of running out of superlatives to describe this album. I must admit, when I got it originally I didn't realise it was only a two-man effort, so now I'm doubly impressed. Anyway, the song starts off on lovely acoustic guitar, then the keys slide in and the vocals get going, and you can't help but get misty-eyed. There's something totally sincere and real about the way Tunde sings, and you feel there's a great honesty about the man. As the two composed all the tracks on the album, it's quite possible that they're drawing on their own experiences here to craft these songs, which only underscores my belief that artistes should write their own material: makes it so much more personal, and that can only be good.
The lyric says it all:
”I will never lose my faith in you/ How will I ever get to Heaven if I do?” The synth-string section works its magic, weaving a sumptuous tapestry against which Tunde's vocals thread their way like the finest golden thread. Beautiful, with a capital B. My only small gripe with the track is the ending. On the single, it fades out instrumentally, but on the album it goes into a sort of repeat vocal, which I feel takes from the song slightly. If they had even included the single version on the album as well, I would have been happier. However, it's a small and inconsequential complaint on an album with which I can otherwise find no fault.
It even continues really well to the end, with the nursery-rhyme vocal melody in “When I was younger” complemented by lovely piano and synth, and the title track is an excellent closer, maintaining the overall extremely high quality seen, and heard, throughout this special release.
You'll get no mad guitar solos here, no jarring drum sections or brass horns, but it's definitely in my top ten albums to relax to. It's also one of the best albums to put on if you want to cheer up. After being immersed in “Postcards from Heaven” you just won't be able to stay sad, annoyed or depressed. The guys are hoping to come back this year or next with a new album, and I certainly hope that happens, because the world needs more bands like this. Makes the world seem a less cold and unfriendly place, if only for forty-seven minutes plus.
TRACKLISTING
1. Raincloud
2. Once in a blue moon
3. Question of faith
4. Let it all change
5. Sun in the night
6. High
7. Lost in space
8. When I was younger
9. Restless
10. Postcards from Heaven