Lightning Threads

There’s a certain electricity to 'Trinkets', the latest offering from The Lightning Threads, a Sheffield-born trio whose soul-swaggering sound has been steadily gathering momentum. Featuring Tom Jane (guitar/vocals), Sam Burgum (bass/vocals) and Hugh Butler (drums/keys), the band arrive here with their second studio release, following the UK Blues Awards-nominated 'Off That Lonely Road'. From the opening bars of ‘Nowhere to Go’, it’s clear they’ve built on that promise with confidence.

A crisp, staccato Fender Strat riff cuts through like first light breaking over a long night, setting the tone for what proves to be a richly textured, Blues-informed ride. The lead vocal carries a warm, soulful timbre, blending Folk-Rock ease with a flicker of Mod revival cool. There’s even a touch of Kasabian’s 'Club Foot'-style wail, though grounded firmly in an R&B sensibility. A closing coda nods toward Led Zeppelin’s 'Dazed and Confused', worn lightly and to good effect.

‘Wild One’ opens with a wah-soaked flourish reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)', before settling into a rolling groove that blossoms into a soaring guitar-led finale. ‘What Can I Say’ follows with squalling guitar interplay, punctuated by a neatly judged piano break that brings things back down to earth.

‘Rags and Riches’ keeps the engine chugging, its groove enriched by a warm Hammond organ swell, while ‘What a Fever Does’ offers a shift in tone, echoing Crowded House’s 'It's Only Natural' in its lighter, more reflective feel. ‘With a Heavy Heart’ begins in sparse, piano-led introspection before opening into a groove akin to Santana’s 'Smooth', complete with a subtle Bossa Nova undercurrent and increasingly urgent guitar lines.

‘Shook’ leans further into that Latin-tinged feel before breaking into something more raucous, while ‘Just Might Be’ carries shades of Ocean Colour Scene, albeit with a sharper guitar edge. ‘Devil Inside Me’ is all groove and grit, its scratchy textures building intensity.

Closing track ‘White Dress’ lands as a heavy, emphatic stomp. 'Trinkets' is an assured, stylistically fluent record that not only consolidates The Lightning Threads’ rising reputation, but confirms they’re a band with real staying power.

Ivan De Mello