The Lottery Winners( an unusual name.) hail from Leigh, Greater Manchester, and formed in 2008. They have supported Starsailor and have collaborated with Frank Turner and Sleeper frontwoman Louise Wener. They are with an independent label (Modern Sky) despite being in existence since 2008. This band still needs to be signed. Regarding this staggeringly, this is their FIFTH album under a small label, and member Thom Rylance says it is their album for those struggling with mental health issues. The record opens with a posh-voiced psychiatrist telling you to relax and begin the session. It also closes with a thank you for sharing; the session is now over, or words to that effect.

This album is about Thom Rylance’s ability to feel better about himself when he gets all his emotions off his chest on the tracks. Yet, at the same time, we can all relate when we listen to the lyrics and feel much better by the album’s end.

After the brief introduction, the record bursts into life with the fast-tempo track, ‘Worry’. I had never heard of the band before this track, but they gave me a Lux Lisbon/Slow Readers Club vibe to their sound. I also loved how the first two tracks (‘Burning House’ is the second.) were energetic—the kind of energy you want at the beginning to pique your interest.

We then move on to ‘Money’ featuring Shaun Ryder, who brings his Mancunian swagger. The track is very Happy Mondays/Black Grape-esque (Probably the new band, too. Mantra of the Cosmos, which includes Ride’s Andy Bell.)The track is about coping with working, being a musician, and longing to ditch the regular job for music. 

The record even has an ode to the anti-depressant, Sertraline, and is called such. Thom talks about how that particular one makes you feel better, and as I took that myself, I can vouch for that. I indeed related to this one. At this point, the album changes tempo and is more uplifting. As I stated, the record theme is based on a therapy session, and this record has reached the point where you would start to feel more optimistic and better for discussing what upsets you. ‘Letter to Myself’ features Frank Turner, as Thom addressed himself when he was 12, where he discusses how difficult school is but how one can overcome it. The video for the song is good, too.

‘Let Me Down’ features the brilliant Boy George and stands out for me. George’s vocals are like Galaxy chocolate and soothing, adding warmth to the uplifting track. You will understand it more when you watch the video of the child dressed as Boy George upstairs in his room singing along, and his father walks in, and instead of being angry with him, he accepts it and asks how he is.

I recommend this album, and I hope now that they have smashed that glass ceiling by having massive success with this album, they get on to bigger and better things. 

Song recommendations: ‘Let Me Down’, ‘Money’, ‘Letter to Myself’

9/10