Savoy's second album has found critical acclaim from all those who have taken the time to sit down and listen to it. Virtually the entire fan base has universally declared that it is far, far better than Mary Is Coming, the bands first outing, and, if you are asking my opinion it knocks the pants off anything else that Pål Waaktaar-Savoy has ever done. This coming from a die hard a-ha fan is some compliment to the quality of the music.

Lauren, Frode and Greg's influences are evident throughout the album, from start to finish there are quirks that remind you that Pål is not the sole driving force behind the music, and Lauren's vocals are of course the most self evident reminder of this. Lackluster Me, in a word, rocks. And whereas the same can be, and indeed was, said of Mary Is Coming; Lackluster Me takes the listener on an emotional rollercoaster ride, ranging from heartwrenching to heartwarming, and all on first hearing leave the listener more than a little stunned at the quality and variety. It probably helps if you were anticipating another Mary Is Coming as I was, but even without having heard the rougher album, Lackluster Me still shines. If Mary Is Coming rated as one of the unheralded great albums of '96, Lackluster Me deserves to be acknowledged as THE album of '97.

There was passion in the making of Mary Is Coming, but the energy seemed more negative than positive. Lackluster Me displays more of the moving lyrics and melodies that we have come to expect from Pål, but these are further improved, and in some cases tempered by Lauren, Frode and Greg's input. Certain tracks you could almost envisage as having been plucked straight off an a-ha album (one of the later albums, East of the Sun or Memorial Beach rather than Hunting High and Low or Stay On These Roads) and Sycamore Leaves is a case in point, coming from the fourth a-ha album. A much improved version appears slap bang in the middle of the track listing, building upon what was already a strong song to turn it into a complete classic. It may take a few listens, but it was not long before I was a convert and all the happier for being so. This was one of the tracks that shone at the recent round of Savoy gigs in Norway.

Pål was effectively the sole vocalist throughout Mary Is Coming (although Lauren was credited as being joint lead vocalist, the only tracks on which it is possible to hear her clearly are Raise Your Sleepy Head and Daylight's Wasting) on Lackluster Me Lauren's voice is much more evident, a star in the ascendancy. The tracks on which she assumes the mantle of lead vocalist (four if you count Flowers for Sylvia) prove that her voice is just as unique as Pål's and it has to be said that Frode's backing vocals, especially on Rain and This, That and the Other compliment Pål's exceptionally well.

Around half a dozen tracks on this album have the potential to be singles, the two already released:- Rain and Foreign Film (the latter being the most obvious) should be followed by such classics as the rocking I Still Cry and This, That and the Other, as well as Butt Out (already released as the B-side to Rain) and the sombre title track. Unfortunately, there seems to be a marked reluctance on the part of EMI to commit themselves fully to promoting Savoy. To date, there is no video to accompany Foreign Film, the one track which most feel has the greatest chance of bringing Savoy the acclaim they deserve.

Each track on Lackluster Me is completely unique, which makes it hard to define one track that sums up 'the Savoy sound' and means that this is not an album that you'll be able to listen to and get confused as to which song you're on. From the soppy (no other word for it) Hey Luchie, to the forcefulness of I Still Cry, this album has knocked the socks of just about everything a-ha ever did (there are certain exceptional a-ha tracks that do compete ...). One particularly astute individual stated on the Savoy Guestbook a while ago that he wanted not Savoy or a-ha, but both. I am inclined to agree with him on this, and if current rumours that claim a-ha are back in studio are true then I will be much saddened.

The one qualification that I have to put to all this, is that mind-blowing as Lackluster Me is, I feel that there is even more to Savoy, their potential as yet seems to have been barely tapped. I would hate for Pål's commitments to a-ha, or Lauren's passion for film to cause an end to Savoy when there seems to have been so much left undone ... Lackluster Me rocks. If both band and record company were prepared to put some serious weight into promoting it I believe that the quality of this album would soon be recognised.