Back in early January, I headed over to The Big Blue, aka the headquarters of the label Last Night From Glasgow (LNFG), to pick up a whole load of vinyl that was part of my long-standing membership/subscription, consisting of albums released on the label in the latter months of 2024. As ever, there were a few things I knew very little about, and such was the amount of vinyl I had gathered over the festive period, these tended to be put towards the bottom of the pile for listening purposes.
One of those albums was When Lord God Almighty Reads The News, the third album on the label from Billy Reeves.
If the name seems familiar, but you can’t quite fully recall, Billy Reeves formed Theaudience in the mid-90s, a London-based indie-band who enjoyed a couple of minor hit singles but who later became better known for being the first band of singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor. When Theaudience broke up, Billy moved on to a number of other projects, including performing, producing and running a club in London.
In 2001, he was almost killed when his car was hit at high speed by joyriders, with the accident leaving him in a coma, followed by a number of operations over an extended period in hospital. After recovering, he chose to go into writing, broadcasting and radio production, including award-winning shows on BBC London. His love for Brentford FC has led to him commentating on the club’s matches for their in-house social media channels as well as writing articles for the match day programme. (something that he and I have in common as I fulfil both those roles for Raith Rovers!!)
In due course, he made a return to writing and performing, initially through various bands, and eventually in 2022, releasing his first solo album, Nostalgia For the Future on LNFG, followed two years later by Steve, again on LNFG. I’ve copies of these albums, and while both provided some good moments, they were, by my reckoning, the sort which get 3-star reviews and with so much vinyl here in Villain Towers, weren’t given too much attention beyond the initial couple of listens.
I thought it would be much the same with this third album, especially with it landing just a few months after his previous effort, but I’m delighted to report that When Lord God Almighty Reads The News is a fine listen, and indeed contains a song which has easily nudged its way into my list of favourites that were released in 2024, for the simple fact that in today’s increasingly polarised political environment, Billy has come up with an electro-pop anthem with an important message.
mp3: Billy Reeves – Never Cross
In saying that, Never Cross isn’t my favourite track on the album. There’s the fun and joy of the sweary one.
mp3: Billy Reeves – Bstrds!
Copies of the album can be ordered online from LNFG, but it’s also likely to be available in your local indie record store.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 