Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Though the acoustic-minded U.K. indie pop group dates back to the '80s, the Lilac Time's tenth studio album, Return to Us, marks 20 years with the trio lineup of Stephen, Nick, and Claire (Worrall) Duffy. The follow-up to 2015's No Sad Songs, it was prompted by certain political trends in the intervening four years, during which, as bandleader Stephen Duffy put it, "the world went stupid." An agreeable, gently pastoral set, it presents nine tracks (eight songs and an instrumental) with a mind to reassure fans with not only its easygoing musical tone but sentiments like "Hey, you're not alone/Don't worry, I'm with you." Those words are from opener "(I'm A) Believer." A mid-tempo track with strummed acoustic guitars, accordion-like voices, mallet percussion, and a sing-songy chorus, it greets listeners with a metaphorical hand on the shoulder and an invitation to curl up in a comfortable seat, without skirting the issue at hand. The song even calls for revolution in brief, trippier passages. It's followed by the D-Day-inspired "March to the Docks," whose atmospheric pedal steel is a trait of much of the album. Elsewhere, the lively title track was written three days after the election of President Trump and plays off a prior speech by President Obama. (In Duffy's version, "If the song can change a theater/The song can change a town/And if the song can change a city...," and so on.). The stripped-down "The Bridge & Down" is an earnest, Dylan-inspired call to resist. Not all the songs here are politically charged, however: "The Needles" is a Christmas-themed love long, and the country-inflected "The Simple Things" remembers life with less technology. Regardless of track-specific inspirations, the tunes are melodic, warm, and restrained throughout Return to Us, a well-timed outing that serves as both an articulate acknowledgment and a calming diversion.
© Marcy Donelson /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr133,33/month
John Paterno, Engineer, Additional Production - Stephen Duffy, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Writer - Ben Peeler, Pedal Steel Guitar - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Accordion - Claire Duffy, Keyboards, Vocals
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
John Paterno, Engineer, Additional Production - Stephen Duffy, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Writer - Ben Peeler, Pedal Steel Guitar - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Accordion - Claire Duffy, Keyboards, Vocals
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
John Paterno, Engineer, Additional Production - Stephen Duffy, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Flute, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Mandolin, Percussion, Vocals, Writer - Ben Peeler, Pedal Steel Guitar - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Banjo - Leah Zeger, Violin - Claire Duffy, Guitar, Vocals
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
John Paterno, Engineer, Keyboards, Additional Production - Stephen Duffy, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Writer, Zither - Ben Peeler, Pedal Steel Guitar - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Banjo - Claire Duffy, Keyboards, Vocals
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
John Paterno, Engineer, Additional Production - Stephen Duffy, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Writer - Ben Peeler, Pedal Steel Guitar - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Ukulele - Claire Duffy, Keyboards, Vocals
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
John Paterno, Engineer, Additional Production - Stephen Duffy, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Writer - Ben Peeler, Pedal Steel Guitar - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Bouzouki - Claire Duffy, Keyboards, Vocals
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
John Paterno, Engineer, Additional Production - Stephen Duffy, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Writer, Autoharp - Ben Peeler, Pedal Steel Guitar - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Accordion - Leah Zeger, Violin - Claire Duffy, Keyboards, Vocals
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
John Paterno, Engineer, Additional Production - Stephen Duffy, Composer, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Writer - Ben Peeler, Pedal Steel Guitar - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Accordion - Claire Duffy, Keyboards, Vocals
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
John Paterno, Engineer - Stephen Duffy, Producer, Drums, Engineer, Keyboards, Vocals - The Lilac Time, MainArtist - Nick Duffy, Composer, Producer, Engineer, Bass Guitar, Percussion, Writer - Claire Duffy, Keyboards, Vocals - Alison Stott, Cello - Mark Stott, Violin
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Album review
Though the acoustic-minded U.K. indie pop group dates back to the '80s, the Lilac Time's tenth studio album, Return to Us, marks 20 years with the trio lineup of Stephen, Nick, and Claire (Worrall) Duffy. The follow-up to 2015's No Sad Songs, it was prompted by certain political trends in the intervening four years, during which, as bandleader Stephen Duffy put it, "the world went stupid." An agreeable, gently pastoral set, it presents nine tracks (eight songs and an instrumental) with a mind to reassure fans with not only its easygoing musical tone but sentiments like "Hey, you're not alone/Don't worry, I'm with you." Those words are from opener "(I'm A) Believer." A mid-tempo track with strummed acoustic guitars, accordion-like voices, mallet percussion, and a sing-songy chorus, it greets listeners with a metaphorical hand on the shoulder and an invitation to curl up in a comfortable seat, without skirting the issue at hand. The song even calls for revolution in brief, trippier passages. It's followed by the D-Day-inspired "March to the Docks," whose atmospheric pedal steel is a trait of much of the album. Elsewhere, the lively title track was written three days after the election of President Trump and plays off a prior speech by President Obama. (In Duffy's version, "If the song can change a theater/The song can change a town/And if the song can change a city...," and so on.). The stripped-down "The Bridge & Down" is an earnest, Dylan-inspired call to resist. Not all the songs here are politically charged, however: "The Needles" is a Christmas-themed love long, and the country-inflected "The Simple Things" remembers life with less technology. Regardless of track-specific inspirations, the tunes are melodic, warm, and restrained throughout Return to Us, a well-timed outing that serves as both an articulate acknowledgment and a calming diversion.
© Marcy Donelson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:39:58
- Main artists: The Lilac Time
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Folk
© 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2019 Stephen Duffy under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.