Lots of Hands – ‘Into A Pretty Room’ album review: a soundtrack for immersive memories

Name: Lots of Hands - Into A Pretty Room
Rating: 3.5

Lucy Harbron

Wed 15 January 2025 21:12, UK

Lots of Hands - 'Into A Pretty Room'

3.5

THE SKINNY: Turning the feeling of memory into art is a talent. I’m not talking about the memories themselves; I’m talking about the feeling of them—of being lost to the world for a moment as you wander back into an old one, revisiting some day or some moment or some person in the past and existing only in that place in your head. You know, realistically, that it’s entirely made up as a product of your own nostalgia. But you also know you want to stay a while. Newcastle‘s Lots of Hands have that talent, and Into A Pretty Room opens up the door to that place and ushers you in.

As Lots Of Hands combines band sensibilities, clearly inspired by the more approachable genres of rock and folk and clearly informed by their teenage years spent meeting in a music program and bonding over more youthful musical loves, with a glitchier, electronic side. In doing so, the production details feel like twinkles overlayed only these songs. Rock and experimentation mix and Lots Of Hands have also stumbled into their perfect balance of the two. These two sides exist in perfect harmony, and the instrumental interludes all serve the bigger picture, managing to make guitar music more immersive and electronic music more intertwined.

A notable influence is also I Saw The TV Glow. But it’s less about the 2024 film and more about its soundtrack and use of the song ‘Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl’ by Yeule. There is something about that song in that film that feels like a shortcut for nostalgia. The sound seems to sound like disappearing inside a memory as the instrumental swells and pulls you in, but it is still soft and subtle enough to exist as a soundtrack or a score for your thoughts.

Into A Pretty Room sounds exactly like that: a score to soundtrack the memories you disappear inside. The lyrics beautifully reflect that, too. “Death is just a word, the feelings a reminder of past nights in the cold,” Billy Woodhouse sings on ‘The Rain’, before sighing “, Oh well”, like they’re being lost in thought and then blinking, bursting the bubble. That balance of emotional depth and nonchalance is at play throughout, reminiscent of songwriters like Elliott Smith or Jeff Buckley, who dance between big, grand sentiments on big, grand feelings and more casual, plain-speaking lines that somehow feel even more staggering.

Subtle yet deeply impactful, Lots Of Hands feel primed to take an essential spot in a lineage of artists capable of articulating a specific feeling that’s almost impossible to vocalise. But with a mix of acoustic and electronic details, an array of genres and both poetic and plain lyrics, they manage.

For fans of: Replaying bad days in your mind on public transport.

A concluding comment from my brain: “Remember four years ago when this person did that thing? Let’s go through it all again step by step, shall we?”

Into A Pretty Room Track by track

Release date: January 15th 2025 | Producer: Billy Woodhouse and Elliot Dryden | Label: Fire Talk

‘Alive’: Similar to the evolving refrain that opens The 1975’s albums, ‘Alive’ feels like a scene-setting piece that could follow this new band throughout their career and grow and change alongside them. [4/5]

‘Barnyard’: Moving into a different sonic lane, ‘Barnyard’ feels like Elliott Smith meets Alex G for an electronically powered but acoustically minded track that breaks into a gorgeous final third. [3/5]

‘Game Of Zeroes’: Elliot Dryden’s lead here once again seems to draw reference to Elliott Smith as an emotive voice is matched with a marching drumline. Layered so expertly, it feels like a product that should come from a band way further into their career than this duo. [3.5/5]

‘Rosie’: Something about ‘Rosie’ feels reminiscent of the hazy yet feeling-full soundtrack for I Saw The TV Glow, sounding exactly like distant memories or yearning nostalgia. When the electric guitar roars to life, the balance again between band sensibilities and more electronic elements makes a uniquely interesting combination. [3.5/5]

‘In B Tween’ featuring Mage Tears: With the addition of a tenderly soft, angelic female vocal, this short track packs a cinematic punch. [3.5/5]

‘Masquerade’: Continuing their interest in merging guitar music with production details, ‘Masquerade’ combines indie folk foundations with twinkling electronic details that keep it sparkling. [3/5]

‘The Rain’: Something in the meeting of an acoustic guitar and the sporadic glitching notes here sounds exactly like having your head on a car window with your heart aching and your head full of nostalgia. [4/5]

‘Into A Pretty Room’: The album’s title track is exactly what it says on the tin: pretty. Once again, feelings reminiscent of The 1975’s twinkling interludes on Notes on a Conditional Form or A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, this instrumental piece manages to genuinely add something to the album, rather than keeping like killed time. [4/5]

‘Perfume’: Following that with the rawest song on the album, pulling back on the electronic details is a bold but clever choice that adds a whole new dimension to the release, proving that the duo are more than a one-trick pony. [3.5/5]

‘Backseat 30’: As one of the first songs the band wrote together, it’s easy to see why they knew they had something great to pursue here. Full of potential and full of talent, the vision was already there and is realised perfectly. [4/5]

‘Knave’: Short and sharp at only two minutes, Lots Of Hands have a real talent for creating an atmosphere in an instant and making a song immersive in only a small package. [3/5]

‘Fun and Loving’: After a few more guitar-led songs, the glitchy twinkles come back in for another deeply atmospheric instrumental interlude that, once again, has worth. [3/5]

‘Run Your Mouth’: Providing a late-stage piece of greatness on the tracklist, ‘Run Your Mouth’ ensures that the band are at their best across the whole spanning 14 songs, offering something new and interesting again. [3.5/5]

‘Helen’s Song’: Like the car ride is over, and the bubble of nostalgia is burst, ‘Helen’s Song’ sounds like returning to the world around you, holding tender thoughts of a loved one or a lost one in your mind, and stepping back into the day. [4/5]