STEVE LANE 

THE GREAT IMPOSTER

Last Night From Glasgow 

The day I put Lane’s new LP – and yes, it’s vinyl, and sort of camouflage green at that – on my turntable, on his Facebook he announced the fact, as much a surprise to him as to his followers, that The Great Imposter is #8 on the UK Vinyl Album Charts, #5 on the Scottish Charts, #2 on the UK indie charts.

This time around, it’s very much a family affair with Lane’s multi-instrumentalist son Kai Lane U’Ren chipping in guitar, bass and vocals, while youngest daughter Neneh Lane U’Ren, who cowrote the music for ‘Don’t Forget To Breathe’ with her dad, is on piano and vocals.

Poet and Bendigo resident John Holton provided the bulk of the lyrics on Lane’s last album, 2017’s The Revenge of the Lawn and returns here with lyrics for three further songs, ‘Certainty’, ‘Right Here Now’ and ‘Just One Name’, all delivered, as are the rest of the songs across the album, in Lane’s trademark easy, loping rhythmic style.

The topics addressed are more diverse this time around, and while there are still observations on the state of the world – climate change in ‘Certainty’ – the nation – recognising the need to acknowledge and embrace the deep understanding of Country our Indigenous brothers and sisters have held for millennia in ‘Ocean That Is Red’ – or the insanity of war in ‘So Sorry Now’, there are the more personal battles to beat addiction – ‘No Need To Run No More’ – the absurdities of celebrity in ‘Just One Name’ or just simple – well, not really all that simple – love songs.

Overall, The Great Imposter is something of a comfortable aural companion with enough depth to make you ponder on life to make going along for the ride worthwhile. The label Lane is signed to, Last Night From Glasgow, is a Scottish one that operates as a patron-funded not-for-profit label, so I guess if you want a copy, you have to sign up, but then, as they explain on their site, “Every Vinyl Member worldwide will receive a copy of the album for free – the rest of you will just have to buy it … Australasian customers can use the code ‘Best10%’ and receive a discount of £5 on the shipping costs.” 

MICHAEL SMITH