The things you learn in this job. For example, I didn't even know there was such a thing as a Hackney loungecore elite nor did I know that Luxury Condo were in it but life, as they say, is a learning experience. With these facts now clear in my head, it was time to inspect their debut album "Hit The Strip".
Luxury Condo don't sound dirty as much as decadent. Well, decadent if cheese could actually be decadent that is. With all the laidback stylised affectations of a wedding band on the smack, they take lyrics that would cause many a songsmith to cringe and deliver them by first class post into a twilight world of red lights, curiously stained crushed velvet and overpriced cocktails.
You think perhaps that I have sharpened my axe and will now go for the kill? You'd be wrong for Luxury Condo are band with a purpose and it is the very purpose that so many bands have forgotten. Luxury Condo are here to entertain you and Andy Butlin's, dare I say it, louche vocals make the most of every single word of those respectfully cheesy lyrics while the rest of the band skilfully avoid outshining him by actually being first class. That's something you don't notice until you have given this album its second spin and began to appreciate that this is so much more than mere retro camp. Then, songs like "Teen Angel" and the truly sublime "Lover" start to make perfect sense.
If you've ever enjoyed The Rocky Horror Picture Show or wished that the ascot would come back into fashion then this is the album for you. "Hit The Strip" is kitsch done right.