Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

According to founder member Ant Clifford, the debut album from Sheffield three-piece Lofter has been decades in the making and it's certainly been worth the wait. Clifford, co-vocalist Laurence Keith and percussionist Ben Cooper have solely used acoustic instrumentation to lovingly craft an album of warmth, sincerity and immediacy that, refreshingly in this day and age of skipping tracks and streaming singles, comes together as a whole piece as opposed to merely a collection of standalone tunes. Music boxes, ethereal harmonies, handclaps and complex guitar runs enhance the group's acoustic sound and provide the perfect backdrop to the wistful vocals of Keith and Clifford who themselves bring the invitingly poetic lyrics of each song to life. Whilst everything is open to interpretation, songs like the upbeat "Tick Tock", the contemplative "Leaving" and the album's standout track "While We're Young" suggest that this album is about the melancholy found in the passing of time with the very occasional line here and there hinting at a Christian perspective towards proceedings. In short, an intricate album of depth and beauty from a group of musicians who know what they're doing.

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