Attack of the Grey Lantern was originally envisioned by songwriter/vocalist Paul Draper as being a conceptualized record regarding a vigilante pursuing retribution toward the wrongdoers of a town. The idea was somewhat abandoned when song structuring became problematic for Draper. However it is of no significant matter as The Grey Lantern represents 90s Britpop at its finest and certainly most diverse. The opener The Chad Who Loved Me and closer Dark Mavis serve as symphonic bookends to a track list serving one infectiously melodic groove after another. Taxloss stands out for its tribute to the Beatles Taxman and Tomorrow Never Knows. Disgusting is Draper at his most sardonic wit and oddly was never released as a proper single. A smattering of recollections of Blur, Oasis, Stone Roses, The Verve, Massive Attack and The Longpigs appear throughout the album, representative of an almost perfect collage of the genre in its time. An audacious and bold debut statement from an unfairly overlooked band.
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