343) Lotus Eaters - No Sense of Sin

I know The Lotus Eaters, anyone with a passing interest in music of a certain age knows their hit The First Picture Of You which peaked at number fifteen back in 1983. Reading up on them for this review they formed in 1982 and were in the top twenty before they had even played a concert. They must have thought this pop star business was a doddle. Sadly, they never troubled the top forty ever again and this, their debut album, spent one week in the UK charts making number ninety-six.

However, here we are forty-two years later talking about their hit and their album, so they left their mark.

A single piano leads us in and I feel lead singer, Peter Coyle, is warming his vocal up before launching into German Girl, the piano is constant and we have whispering vocals at one point, I wouldn’t say I’m initially grabbed but wish to hear more.

Love Still Flows is much better Coyle more commanding and a more complete song.  This is essentially a record about love and relationships between men and women. Sophisticated and smooth with plenty of piano (Put Your Touch on Love has an excellent recurring piano throughout), harmonising, and restrained guitar.

A record of its time where there are some lovely ballads, Set Me Apart and You Fill Me With Need in particular and Alone With All Her Sex has an edge and the guitar throughout When You Look At Boys is just fantastic.

The First Picture of You was, is, a classic and it’s no surprise that it’s the best thing on here but this is my usual three listens before I write and I have a nagging feeling the more I hear it the more it will grow on me.

They deserved far more than they received.

6.50/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: The First Picture of You