Review: Lazarus Heights – Papillon

Self Release (September 20^th, 2024)

Reviewer: Chris O’Connor

This is something of a strange album, it’s powerful, sometimes brilliant, sometimes a little perplexing, but is hugely enjoyable regardless. Richly produced, the album is a joy to listen to, being powerful, beautiful, and even exotic in equal measure. Lazarus Heights is an Anglo-French quartet based in Dordogne, South-West France, the line-up is: Dick Grisdale (vocals/guitars), Paul Mouradian (keyboards), Simon Pearson (bass guitars) and Jeff Gautier (drums).

The album opens in imperious style with the title track, which is a towering statement of intent. Featuring a sledgehammer riff that is equal parts Led Zeppelin and Killing Joke, and a dreamy chorus which is vintage Duran Duran. This weird mix should not work at all – but does magnificently anyway. In fact, the more I hear it, the more I am reminded of latter day Deafheaven, which is also never a bad thing.

‘Fall For You’ is a curiously 80\s retro Indie Pop number that somehow evokes The Smiths jamming with The Cure, another fusion that simply should not go together, but Lazarus Heights makes it sound like the most natural fusion – you might almost describe it as Dream Pop. ‘Murder Blue’ is another slice of retro-Indie Pop with Dick Grisdale channelling his inner Morrissey. It’s nothing new musically, but it has a great memorable tune, it’s a real ‘earworm’ of a number.

‘Dry Martini’ – begins with a slamming rhythm which segues into a killer riff, with the verse being reminiscent of Duran Duran at their heaviest, while the chorus is simply fantastic. The rhythm section plays brilliantly here, powering the song with an effortless groove and swing, it’s a stone-cold classic number, and is probably my favourite here. ‘Drive’ has a lovely languid dreamy riff, and lyrically more of The Smiths at their most dramatic. The chorus is to die for, damn I love this album!

‘Waterfall’ is next, and the band explodes here, the tempo drives along relentlessly – it’s a barnstormer of a song with a tremendous earworm chorus to boot. This is a song to drive to, it has a surging urgency, and it works on every level, Paul Mouradian’s keyboards are simply brilliant here, bravo Sir!

‘Next’ comes next (see what I did there?), and it absolutely dazzling. I think I’m right in saying the band sets a dramatic Tango(?) tempo, which is mesmerising. The song features genuinely amazing lyrics, which set a simply fantastic scene. This song is almost Avant-Garde – I am instinctively reminded of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – which (of course) is a colossal compliment in itself.

‘The Joker’ – enters Punk Rock territory, with an almost Steve Jones/Sex Pistols ripping riff. In fact, what I feel I’m listening to is the Sex Pistols jamming with The Damned at their most dramatic – I f@@@ing love this! I have genuinely listened to this song over and over, it’s monstrous stuff! As a contrast, ‘The Living Room’ features a Steve Rothery/Marillion hypnotic riff a la ‘Clutching At Straws’ era, but instead of Fish narrating, – Morrissey pours his heart and soul out, it’s genuinely wonderful. In places Dick Grisdale’s glorious baritone voice is doubletracked, which works beautifully. It’s absolutely a ‘Wow’ moment.

Then it gets even better. ‘The Pleasure’ falls somewhere between Porcupine Tree and Led Zeppelin. The riff is as tough as nails but with a middle eastern tinge, the rhythm section lays down a beautifully evocative backbeat, and Dick Grisdale’s lyrics are sublime “There is beauty in the ugly, and treasure in the dirt, the perfect imperfections, of pleasure in the hurt”. This is an absolute barnstormer of a song, simply riveting.

‘Fantasie Militaire’ is sung entirely in French, with Paul Mouradian’s keyboards driving the song in a manner that might be best described as cinematic. The song builds inexorably as it goes, and Dick Grisdale provides a simply glorious and genuinely epic guitar solo, which drags the song to it’s messy but wonderful end. The song ‘Lazarus Heights’ is a very ‘English’ album coda, almost Pink Floydian in fact, with a languorous dreamy riff that builds to a crushing end. The lyrics are also very aptly evocative: “It’s a sunny day at Lords, we got their rain, don’t worry, the tobacco company’s gonna pay. There’s a new man in Number 10, so we can all breathe again, for a little while, till the bells of London Ring…” It’s also song about ecology, and the vague hopes for peace. It’s a dramatic, epic, and thunderous way to end this exceptional album.

‘Papillion’ is an album that dares to be different, to challenge your expectations, and is absolutely wonderful for those very reasons. When I first heard it, it confused me, but then with repeated listens, I’ve grown to absolutely love it. ‘Papillion’ will easily be in my top five albums for this year, and Lazarus Heights has instantly become one of my favourite bands. I urge you to buy this album, it is everything that is both good and great about music. Mark under ‘Absolutely essential’!

Tracklist:

01. Papillion

02. Fall For You

03. Murder Blue

04. Dry Martini

05. Drive

06. Waterfall

07. Next

08. The Joker

09. The Living Room

10. The Pleasure

11. Fantasie Militaire

12.  Lazarus Heights

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