‘Deadly Sins’ is the second full-length LP by London/Devon indie-pop quintet Lemonade Sin, based around the songwriting partnership of Lee Friese-Greene and Simon Aldous.

Each song was inspired by one of the Seven Deadly Sins: wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, pride, lust and envy.

Musically its eclecticism is in keeping with previous Lemonade Sin releases, described by the Other Side fanzine as “an ever-changing style, wandering from grunge to pop, folk and indie-rock” as well as some forays into a more electronic dance style– but united by the common threads of Lee and Simon’s interplaying vocals and lush harmonies.

“You hear the word ‘sin’ and most people probably think of lasciviousness,” says Simon. “In fact we probably did too when we had the initial idea. But you start to delve into the different sins and if anything it’s more about human frailty in its many difference guises.

This is particularly the theme of “Having A Better Time” which deals with social-media-inspired fomo; and “Plenty in the Pantry” which begins as almost a celebration of gluttony before looking at why someone might feel the need to overindulge in this way.

Other songs act more as defences for sins. Album opener “Clutter” makes the case for sloth, a spoken word section listing the vast number of songs, videos, books and podcasts created every day “the vast majority of which is entirely unremarkable”. With such an abundance of stuff, it suggests, isn’t doing nothing a greater contribution to the world?

As with previous releases, Lemonade Sin have enlisted the production talents of Lucy and Matthew Board (of the band Pale Blue Eyes). The band recorded the first seven songs in Lucy and Matt’s Devon studio but ended up being the last people to record there as the studio was then packed up and moved to their new base in Sheffield, with resumption of recording delayed while they constructed their new studio.

And there is a noticeable difference in the feel of the two sets of songs with the Sheffield tracks featuring more electronic drums and synths and being very much studio creations while the Devon recordings make extensive use of Lemonade Sin’s live band, Simon and Lee being augmented by Charlotte Beale (bass and backing vocals), Jennifer Denitto (drums) and Robin Morgan (keyboards).

I Want It All

Lemonade Sin