Spectrals is 21 year old Louis Jones. Mixing ingredients of pop, soul, doo wop, and a garage rock ballad, his debut album on Slumberland, Bad Penny, sounds vintage but current, while the Yorkshire lilt in his voice (a result of his hometown, Heckmondwike) places him firmly in the UK, rather than Detroit. Inspired by the music he grew up listening to as a child, from the Rolling Stones (the only CD's his mum ever has in her car) to The Style Council, Elvis Costello and The Ronettes (artists he regularly shares on mix tapes) it's all "just about love really."
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Spectrals has always been a small operation. Now in its third year of existence, Louis started by recording in a friend's knocked-together studio and posting the songs on MySpace. Despite originally only being for his closest friends, his Myspace soon attracted the attention of discerning labels all over the world: from Captured Tracks (Dum Dum Girls, Wild Nothing) to Sex Is Disgusting (Mazes, Human Hair) to Underground Peoples, where he eventually released last year's Extended Play.
On Bad Penny, recorded with Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Spacemen 3) in early 2011, Spectrals' knack for writing a great tune is more obvious than ever. "I just love these songs" he says "all I'd hope is for people to come away saying, 'they were 11 ace songs' or if there's a a guy or girl getting messed about, that it makes sense to them. I'm not wanting make out I'm a genius, I hate it when groups do that. People don't like being talked down to, y'know? This is just songs." Packed with great song-writing, smart arrangements and main Louis' distinctive, jazzy guitar, this is one amazingly complete and accomplished debut album.
