Photo: Press
It’s incredible to think that Nottingham quartet Lacey don’t have a record label to call home – yet. Such is the polished sound and wall-to-wall hooks throughout Under The Brightest Lights, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was the third or fourth album from a band that finds familiarity in the Top 10 of the charts.
Yet the band is making its own way without the support of a deal. Lacey crowdfunded this debut, with fans paying anything from £10 to pre-order the album to upwards of £100 for an acoustic gig in their living room. What better way to gauge the appetite for new material?
- Read Lacey's guide to crowdfunding their album here
The album bursts into life with lead single ‘Tonight’ – it feels like a coming of age. It’s an anthem in every sense of the word; the boys show they’re here to stay as they sing: “We said we won't wait any longer”.
Lacey know how to create 100mph, stadium-filling songs, but tracks like ‘Contender’ and ‘Find A Way’ show the band is adept at slower and more controlled numbers. The latter is reminiscent of Kings Of Leon – with drummer Dave Pearson channelling Nathan Followill to dictate the pace. Credit also goes to lead singer Graz Turner, whose vocals stand up to the relentless intensity of Lacey’s choruses – and the stripped back penultimate track ‘Wait Till Tomorrow’ perfectly shows off its strength.
Under The Brighest Lights is, in short, an incredible debut from a band that’s well and truly announced its arrival – every track could be a breakthrough moment. It’ s about time we shone the brightest lights on Lacey.
