Belief by Les Pauls. An album that might be classed as ‘cheeky Christian’.

Release date: Available now

Label: Swiss Cottage Records

Format: DL / streaming

A link with Luke Jackson and songwriter/lyricist Paul Robert Thomas leads to Les Pauls. Luke makes a guest appearance on Belief. An album from an outfit that brings together the songwriting duo of Paul Robert Thomas (lyrics) and Paul Osagie Taylor Odiasie (hence ‘The Pauls’). Paul (RT) has described the album as broadly ‘Christian’ in a theme that doesn’t hold any issues for us. Heck, we’ve been following Neal Morse and his spiritual path for nigh on twenty years. There are even songs written for Sir Cliff and like Rik said on The Young Ones back in the alternative comedy of the Eighties, “there’s no way Cliff Richard was sitting on a clean toilet when he wrote Wired For Sound.“

As the other Paul declares with the opening lyric, “I’m just a poor boy“, there’s a sense that we could be on a lonesome path. Fifteen songs carry messages soundtracked by bubbling electronic percussion and a quivering and reverbed delivery. At times reminiscent of Nick Cave and Johnny Cash while early doors sees us get a Heart Of Gold nod on How Long Must We Wait?

The set finds the duo reflecting on the fragility of life, the pace of life and responding to Mary Hopkin by asking “were those the days?” A dreamy retro vibe, twanging guitars and the sort of crooning we love Richard Hawley for, gets a twist with the pan pipes and skittering rhythms on I Believe. We Were The Young Ones reinforces an indie vibe whilst the strong synth and what comes over as a slightly treated vocal adds an Eighties signature to In The Vineyard. The River Is Wide is full of joyous bounce with the matching delaration “I can’t believe that I survived, I can’t believe that I’m alive”. The Answer To My Prayers meanwhile, heads more full-on spiritual as we pay tribute to a power above.

Ticking several boxes, Belief raises the curtain on a cabaret of styles and lyrics that offer inspiration and provoke thought.

Listen to We Were The Young Ones here:

In case your googling leads to the inevitable mountain of pages on ‘that’ guitar, here are the best links to Les Pauls online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Youtube / Soundcloud

You can follow At The Barrier on Twitter here, and like us on Facebook here. We really appreciate your support.