Just when you thought it was better to stay at home and listen to your collection of classic tunes than subject yourself to the aural assault of low variety high volume indie rock that echoes around the streets of Glasgow along comes a fine example of the rarely noticed undercurrent of musical intelligence that can be found in the better basements of this no mean city. Andy Lucas is the man with the piano and the ways, means and desire to show how it should be done.
It doesn’t take him long to tinkle the ivories in the direction of the world weary wage slave as “The Miserable Musical Prostitute” expresses a level of ennui and humour that Noel Coward would have approved of. Whilst that wry sense of humour indeed pervades the lyrics of this album, Mr Lucas takes his musical direction from the whims of his forbearers. “Prozac” echoes, of all things, the post war novelty songs of Louis Jordan and “Local Villains” steps on to the stage right next to Randy Newman.
There’s a lot to like here – and a lot to like in the other bands of the ilk like the Dirty Demographic and the Dirty Keys for that matter – and “Weekend Millionaire” easily proves that catchy melodies and sharp lyrics easily trump the false gods of simplistic riffs and maximum loudness. Andy Lucas is a classy guy and this is a classy album.