The Lathums, among the latest practitioners of the guitar-based pop music style, often referred to as “Britpop”, originally came together as part of a school project in their hometown of Wigan, England, in 2018. Within months of their initial formation, the Lathums released their first single, “Crying Out”, an urgent but elegant rock ballad.
“Crying Out” established the group as a potentially exciting entity in the latest wave of a genre that has its roots in the Beatles and the Kinks, along with many artists who have mined and enhanced the Britpop sound through the decades. They have fulfilled the promise of “Crying Out” with a series of singles and two hit albums, How Beautiful Life Can Be (2021) and From Nothing to a Little Bit More (2023). Now, the band have released a hard-hitting third album, Matter Does Not Define.
While operating firmly within the guitar pop rock realm, the Lathums (Alex Moore, Scott Concepcion, Ryan Durrans, and Matty Murphy) have proven themselves adept at creating tunes with a variety of distinct moods. Over the last several months, the group proved this by treating fans to four teaser singles from Matter Does Not Define, showcasing a different side of their musical personality.
“Stellar Cast” is a jittery, ska-influenced tune with lyrics hinting at romantic confusion, while “No Direction” is a driving rocker. “Long Shadows is a brooding, twangy guitar ballad that now serves as the haunting closing track of Matter Does Not Define, and “Heartbreaker” is an instant pop singalong with upbeat and life-affirming lyrics.
These four tracks gave fans an idea of what to expect, but the complete album provides even more variety. For example, the Lathums swagger into Matter Does Not Define with “Leave No Stone Unturned”, a slightly rowdy folk rocker, and follow it up with the moodier “Reflections of Lessons Left”. In addition to the more rocking tunes, Matter Does Not Define features some affecting ballads. “Unrequited Love”, as its title suggests, appears to be about a love that isn’t meant to be. Though it’s a quiet tune, “Unrequited Love” concludes with a soaring guitar solo.
A trilogy of songs thoughtfully concludes Matter Does Not Define. “The Jester” follows the lyrical template of “The Tears of a Clown”, detailing the life of a clown who brings joy to others while suffering their own secret melancholy. “Surender to Beauty”, the breezy penultimate track, is the tale of a talkative narcissist who can’t stop talking about himself until he realizes he’s “surrounded by beauty and think that I’m cursed”.
As noted above, Matter Does Not Define ends on a haunted note with “Long Shadows”, a brooding song, despite lyrics that end with the seemingly hopeful, “We are free, and are free / We are happy tonight, tonight.” The bottom line is that whether you like the Beatles, Squeeze, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, or any combination thereof, you will find something to enjoy on Matter Does Not Define.