Donate

When The Night: island sounds for the autumn chill

Alim Kheraj

Topics Culture

Want to read spiked ad-free? Become a spiked supporter.

Jean-Philip Grobler, aka St Lucia, began his musical career singing in the Drakensberg Boys Choir. The choir toured the globe, and his debut album, When The Night, bears the trace of this musical wanderlust.

Enjoying spiked?

Why not make an instant, one-off donation?

We are funded by you. Thank you!

Please wait...
Thank you!

Against a backdrop of 80s synth-pop, he channels all of his influences into a sound that feels altogether tropical – putting one in mind of late nights spent on Caribbean sands.

Album opener, ‘The Night Comes Again’, is built up of ethereal, reverb-soaked vocals and pulsing synths. ‘The Way You Remember Me’ then digs into more 80s and 90s sounds, blending Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ and The Cure’s ‘Friday, I’m In Love’ before exploding into a soaring saxophone solo.

Elsewhere, he takes on more cheesy textures to mixed effect. The euphoric ‘Elevate’ sounds like incidental music for Made In Chelsea, in a good way, while the airy guitar-sounding synth of ‘All Eyes On You’ is reminiscent of All Saints’ ‘Pure Shores’, in a very, very bad way.

After a sluggish middle-section, comes the LP’s highpoint: ‘Too Point’, driven by a blipping arpeggiator and driving percussion, is a seven-minute pop masterpiece.

In all, Grobler melds his influences well into a breezy, summery sound. It can get a little samey, and the tropical theme a little too laboured; certain songs shine, while others are rather forgettable. Still, as autumn closes in, When The Night will definitely put a spring in your step.

Alim Kheraj is currently interning at spiked.

Watch the video for ‘Elevate’

WHO FUNDS SPIKED? YOU DO

We are funded by you. And in this era of cancel culture and advertiser boycotts, we rely on your donations more than ever. Seventy per cent of our revenue comes from our readers’ donations – the vast majority giving just £5 per month. If you make a regular donation – of £5 a month or £50 a year – you can become a {{supporters}}, and enjoy:

–Ad-free reading
–Exclusive events
–Access to our comments section

It’s the best way to keep spiked going – and growing. Thank you!

Please wait...

Comments

Want to join the conversation?

Only spiked supporters and patrons, who donate regularly to us, can comment on our articles.

Join today