In the post-Smiths period between 1987 and 1993 Guy Chadwick and The House of Love produced four albums of outstanding captivating beauty, showcasing Chadwick as a sublime songwriter channelling the feel and influence of all the classic 60’s and 70’ bands. Sadly, label interference and the nonsense that went with big budgets and the endless push for ‘product’ drove them to split in ‘93 having failed to live up to the unreasonably huge expectations placed on them – “could be the next U2” no pressure then!
Following the demise of the band, Chadwick formed the short-lived Madonna’s and Eyedreams projects with a fantastic set of new songs, though none of these were released by either project. Struggling with how to fit into a post-Britpop UK music scene Chadwick took a break before being persuaded by Keith Cullen to try a new direction with the breezy Lazy, Soft and Slow, his only solo album to date. Recording for the small Setanta label, Chadwick hooked up with new musicians and legendary producer Robin Guthrie, himself recently released from the pressure of being a Cocteau Twin. Guthrie’s warm yet stripped back production allowed Chadwick to share the more vulnerable side to his songwriting – and this album is all the better for it.
Kicking off with ‘Soft and Slow’ the album tells you straight away where it is going with its “feed me tea and kisses and wine, so soft and slow”. This is a gorgeous album of love songs, perfect for cool autumnal evenings or a lazy Sunday morning. Whilst the album features more traditional ‘rock’ songs like ‘You really got a hold on me’ and ‘In her heart’ much of the beauty lies in the more laid back tracks like ‘One of These Days’ and ‘Mirrored in My Mind’, which Chadwick himself described as “one of the best songs I think I have written”. Both are reminiscent of House of Love ‘B’ sides, think of the gorgeous ‘Phone’ or ‘Babyteen’ (not technically a B side I know!).
Chadwick’s cover of Iggy Pop’s ‘Fall In Love With Me’ is in stark contrast to the House of Love’s frenetic early live outings for Pop’s ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ with Pop’s lyrics never sounding so romantic, “a bottle of white wine, a cigarette and you..”, over a bed of subtle guitar and infectious accordion. First single from the album ‘This Strength’ and the stunningly elegant ‘Crystal Lovesong’ offer slide guitar over a bed of lush female backing vocals, including from Alice Lemon (of The Catchers if you remember them), with the later being one of the darkest moments of the record as it details the “end of the world through the eyes of two young lovers” .
The original album closed with the fragile and yearning ‘Close Your Eyes’, perhaps one of Chadwick’s most irresistible tracks, on a par with the House of Love’s ‘The Girl With the Loneliest Eyes’ – Chadwick’s favourite House of Love song! However, this re-issue, from Optic Nerve and on vinyl for the first time, now includes two previous ‘B’ sides (remember them?), ‘Questionnaire’ and ‘Laughter and Honey’. Chadwick, like Noel Gallagher in the 90’s, had so many fantastic tracks that almost every ‘B’ side was worthy of being on an album (indeed Spy in the House of Love was an album of B sides and outtakes), so it is great to finally have this lost gem of an album expanded by two worthy additional tracks that, for a change, add to the original rather than mess with a once perfect track listing.
On its release, in 1998, the NME described this album as “destined to be a lost gem” which was probably true, at the time, but listening again in 2025 this album really deserves another chance and a much wider listen – exquisite beauty should be shared! Whether we will ever hear more solo material from Chadwick remains to be seen but we can be very content that this album is back in the shops, and that Chadwick is currently recording with a revitalised House of Love.
