Lime Garden – Maybe Not Tonight (2026)

Lime Garden – Maybe Not Tonight (2026)

Whilst the film scene has been a bit of a let-down over the last few years, when it comes to music, I can see it’s not all downhill. Thankfully, in all the arts, you can still unearth gems, diamonds or solid gold. That’s exactly what this album is to my ears!

‘Maybe Not Tonight’ could easily make it into my Top 10 (if I were to compile one!) of the best albums released this year, alongside ‘Slippers 08’ by Slippers, ‘Welcome to Earth’ by the Death Valley Girls, and the unexpected – yet eagerly awaited by fans – comeback album from The Darling Buds, ‘Same Sun / Same Sky’.

Now, it’s quite cheeky, but on their SoundCloud page, the only description given is ‘best band in the world’! That would have annoyed me terribly coming from any other band, especially if it were one I couldn’t stand, but… in this case, I can forgive it and even see the humour in it! After all, if you already see yourselves as winners to that extent, doesn’t that bode well for the future?

One thing’s for sure: Lime Garden really don’t come across as an arrogant band that takes itself too seriously. These four young women, bursting with energy, seem to be having a right old laugh whilst creating their music. Chloé Howard, the lead singer, also plays guitar, synth, sampler and percussion. Leila Deeley is the lead guitarist and provides backing vocals. Tippi Morgan is the bassist and also sings backing vocals. And finally, the driving force behind the band is Annabel Whittle on drums.

An album that evokes the fun, danceable spirit of the 80s combined with the power of the 90s. The 90s are often seen as much darker by those who don’t know much about them. After all, these bands wouldn’t have emerged without their predecessors. Lime Garden demonstrates that 80s influence isn’t necessarily kitsch or ridiculous.

Of course, ‘Downtown Lover’ won’t be the favourite track of jaded, grumpy anti-pop types. On the other hand, it’ll delight fans of commercial music, as well as party-goers and/or those who love simplicity. Whatever anyone says, it’s the sort of track that lets a band let their hair down, have fun and even take a breather between two more complex tracks. I’m not going to go through every song, but bear in mind that ‘Body’ is very deep, intimate and moving, thanks to its lyrics and its tortured feel. You can really sense the pain in its poetry.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)A British indie rock band. Describing their sound as “wonk pop” (I don’t even know what that means yet…), the band blends a number of genres, including disco, pop and surf.

Two years on from their album One More Thing, this quartet is back. They formed in Brighton! It just goes to show… Blood Red Shoes aren’t the only ones from there – they’ve been one of my favourite bands for over twenty-five years. Lime Garden blend a number of genres, including disco, pop and surf. They manage to get us moving, take us on a trip or simply give us a good time. What better way to forget the hassles of everyday life than with music?

I often hear people say a band is ‘interesting’, just to avoid saying they don’t like them! Or they’ll say things like ‘I couldn’t listen to that all day’! I must admit I’m caring less and less about what those people think. Maybe Not Tonight is more than just an ‘interesting’ album to me and, yes, I could listen to it all day long! In fact, I wasn’t necessarily planning to write a review right now, straight away… but as soon as I saw this album catch my eye, I just pressed Play… and I’m almost on my third listen whilst jotting down whatever pops into my head as I share it with you!

An indie surf rock gem that’s a real treat!