One similarity between Childhood’s Universal High and predecessor Lacuna is that they both radiate a laid-back aura that can imagine them being played on a smartphone speaker as a couple relax on summer grass but Universal High goes a step further. It’s so smooth and sensual in parts, it could act as an aphrodisiac.
The end result is something carefully put together, slightly funky, slightly psych and ultimately soulful.
The record all but abandons the jangly pop of its predecessor, 2014’s Lacuna, for a deep, soulful sound that fits the band about as well as your suit fit you on the day of your high school graduation: just enough.
At points, Universal High finds a hook and rides it somewhere new, but for the most part it’s content to time-travel to safe harbors, layering clean, jazzy guitar over simple grooves or dabbling in yacht rock—hardly a groundbreaking move in 2017.
A.M.D // 83
Californian Light // 93
Cameo // 90
Too Old For My Tears // 86
Melody Says // 80
Universal High // 70
Understanding // 73
Don’t Have Me Back // 69
Nothing Ever Seems Right // 76
Monitor // 88
An exciting and fun blend of Indie, Psychedelia and Soul from days of old, all remembered and re-lived through the eyes of a young South London teenager, Ben Romans-Hopcraft. It's hard not to be optimistic when you have a debut album of Lacuna's stature under your belt, but with that ... read more
#11 | / | Rough Trade |