Gilding the Lily

Desperate Journalist return with their sixth studio album, Gilding the Lily, following a quietly remarkable run that has made them one of Britain’s most consistently acclaimed independent guitar bands. Across five celebrated records, they’ve built a devoted following for shimmering indie rock, post-punk bite and emotionally resonant songwriting.

There are echoes of The Cure, The Smiths and The Chameleons, but the sound is unmistakably their own. Gilding the Lily finds the London quartet in caustically creative form, pushing forward with powering guitars, glowering words and the kind of feverish credibility earned through years of great records and great shows.

Fronted by the unmistakable voice of Jo Bevan, and driven by Rob Hardy’s instantly recognisable guitar alongside the locked-in rhythm section of Simon Drowner and Caz Helbert, this is a confident, mature album from a band still operating at full tilt.