Kilimanjaro presents The Hours.

Why is the second album by The Hours called See The Light?

‘It means loadsa things, don't it?' fires back Antony Genn. Which is how he says most things: fires them back. It's also how he sings his poetic, rousing, carousing lyrics: fires them out. ‘It's a message to me personally,' the Sheffield-born singer continues, alluding to a past with more than its share of (self-induced) difficulties, ‘and it's a message to everyone. We're living in dark times. The song See The Light is about hope; it's a plea to hold on in times that are difficult. I think it's important that we all look for positive things.'

‘And then,' he adds, warming to his theme, ‘it also means: see the light, everyone, The Hours are fucking back and we're hear to stay ‘cause were a proper fucking band that means what we say.'

Antony ‘Ant' Genn is not the messiah, he's just a very passionate man, a quality he shares with his partner in The Hours, Lancashire-born Martin ‘Slatts' Slattery. Like rock'n'roll Zeligs, they'd both been round the houses in other musical outfits - from Robbie Williams to Grace Jones via Black Grape and Joe Strummer and the infamous onstage nudity-at-Glastonbury-with-Elastica incident (yep, that was Genn) - before coming together in 2006 to write for and by themselves. Their enthusiasm, and their way with a punchy chorus and a crunchy piano riff, and their desire to craft lyrics that mean something, made Narcissus Road a roaringly brilliant debut album - one crafted by two men in a draughty former dairy in northwest London. Few who heard pull-yourself-up-the-bootstraps anthem Ali In The Jungle remained unmoved by Hours-power.

Now they've done it again, with See The Light. Only this time, with the help of legendary producer Flood and a full band, and aided by the art, inspiration and support of old pal Damien Hirst, The Hours pair have created a bigger, bolder, better record. It'll blow your ears off and blast your heart. It's that good.

"Britain's most powerful new band" - The Guardian

"Timeless music that'll leave an indelible imprint somewhere between your heart and your eardrum" - The Fly

LIVE : THE HOURS + GLASSLIGHTS

7-1

£8.50 adv