It is the year 2025, and indie pop is experiencing a series of comebacks, retrospectives, and revisitations. Last year, Jane Duffus’ These Things Happen: The Sarah Records Story was published and sold out almost immediately, as did tickets to its release event, which featured performances from many reformed acts from the iconic indie label. More recently, two double-LP compilations of the genre have come out: Two Pier’s Come to My World (A Brief History of Indie Pop 1985-2023) and Needle Mythology’s Sensitive: An Indie Pop Anthology. On the second disc of that latter compilation, sandwiched between tracks by Del Amitri and The Nivens, is “Why Does the Rain?” by The Loft, a cult classic of 1980s indie.
For those who haven’t dusted off their stacks of 7”s recently, “Why Does the Rain?” was the first of two singles released by The Loft on Creation Records, the second being “Up the Hill and Down the Slope.” These two releases were among the first from Alan McGee’s newly formed Creation label, and they generated significant attention for both the label and the band. While Creation continued on to massive success with acts like Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, and Oasis, The Loft broke up on stage on the final night of their first national tour, leaving only the two singles and a handful of radio and live recordings as their legacy. Though the band reformed and released a third single, “Model Village”, in 2006 and recorded BBC sessions in 2015 and 2023 (the latter of which was released by Precious Recordings of London last year), fans have still been left wanting for an album.
Until now, that is. Set for release on March 14th, the appropriately titled Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same is a debut album decades in the making. Long-time fans will no doubt be excited that the lineup has remained unchanged from the Creation era, and while the production quality has improved, the sound remains much the same. Though many early indie bands borrowed from the jangly sounds of the 60s, the Loft have embraced that approach more than ever on this latest effort. Listening to single “Dr. Clarke”, it’s hard not to compare it to The Beatles’ “Dr. Robert”, which employs a similar structure and arrangement to hit on adjacent critique of influence and charisma. No listener would mistake one tune for the other, but the inspiration for this genuinely catchy tune is clear.
Though less directly referential, other tracks on the album bring to mind The Kinks, The Zombies, and The Velvet Underground, and on the whole, The Loft have embraced a looser, bluesier sound than many listeners would associate with bright, sparkling 80s indie pop. Singer Peter Astor seems surer of himself in his performances, and his voice is more forward in the mix and less effected than on the band’s earlier material. This is certainly apparent on the other single, “Feel Good Now,” but Astor particularly shines on the quieter numbers like “Greensward Days,” which also includes some of the most tastefully melodic guitar playing on the record.
Though there are a few more driving tracks like “Do the Shut Up” and “The Elephant”, the album is heavy on mid-tempo tunes. Having revisited The Loft’s earlier releases in preparation for this review, I did find myself missing some of the urgency and energy of “Up the Hill and Down the Slope” or B-side “Your Door Shines Like Gold”. Sonically and stylistically, the new record is smoother and mellower than the band’s much celebrated Creation releases, but holding Astor and co. to the sound they pioneered forty years ago is probably unfair, not least because Astor has released more than a dozen albums in the intervening years both as a solo artist and as a member of The Weather Prophets. Evolution is inevitable, and the band do sound more polished and confident than ever in this latest release. Like many fans, I am simply thrilled to finally add a full-length from The Loft to my record collection.
Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same is out on March 14th, 2025 from Tapete Records.
The Loft: Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
Review by Alex Evans
Keep up to date with all new content on Joyzine via our
Facebook | Bluesky | Instagram | Threads | Mailing List