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Sandi Thom - The Pink & The Lily
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After a 21-night spell in her Tooting flat put her (and the London suburb) on the world map, Sandi Thom has returned to her basement to construct The Pink & The Lily, 13 tracks that chronicle her journey since the handclaps of ‘I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker’ were first heard. Written on the road, this is an album of tour tales and pillow-soft stories so nostalgic they should be packaged in sepia.
The whole album is one big sigh of “things ain't what they used to be”. 'The Last Picturehouse', 'The Devil's Beat' and 'Mirrors' all bemoan transition of some sort, while other tracks tell us how Sandi deals with change, 'Saturday Night' and 'Shape I'm In' honing in on her unrelenting attitude to touring... and partying. It's pleasant well-versed stuff with skilful string and percussion accompaniment – but no matter how many steaming hangovers she's had, Thom's life just isn't interesting enough to sustain attention.
From 'The Devil's Beat' onwards, The Pink & The Lily's tempo gradually tails off until it hits a brick wall with soppy album closer, 'My Ungrateful Heart'. And the longer it goes on, the more you begin to think you're listening to a folk soundtrack for a remake of Four Weddings And A Funeral. The title track, a mildly rousing Celtic ballad, certainly has all the credentials for a slick wedding montage.
Don't be too ashamed, people of Tooting – the girl done good, but not great.
Tom Young
