| CD Review - The Lounge Crusade - 'The Lounge Crusade' Four track demo EP |
||
Thursday, 09 September 2010 |
||
| Review by Phill |
||
|
Band members:
Nathan Berger - Vox/Acoustic Guitar,
Track listing:
Formed in 2009, The Lounge Crusade is a relatively new band. Originating from Lincoln, these lads have already spread their eggs as far as London, Doncaster and Manchester. These days, it’s very difficult for a band to hold their head above water in a sea of young musicians all vying for that elusive record contract and commercial success, but The Lounge Crusade’s progression to the northern region’s Live and Unsigned final is hopefully a sign of things to come.
The band’s self-titled four-track demo is a compelling listen. The first track, entitled ‘Ten More Years’, is a strong indication of the band’s sweet, melodic piano-driven sensibilities. The verses are well-separated from the choruses, with a neat snare-driven feel and syncopated acoustic guitar melody. The choruses pick up with a more intent, straight-ahead feel, but holds back just enough to keep the overall feel of the song quite melancholy without being overly-brash. The song is one of three tracks over five minutes in length, suggesting that The Lounge Crusade have their sights set on writing listener-intensive songs which last longer than mere three-minute pop hits.
The second track, ‘Beck and Call’, kicks in straight away with a Ben Folds-esque piano rhythm. Joel Burger’s piano work throughout this demo is notable for its driving feel and intelligent use of rhythm, and it really drives this track. The track contains an interlude following the second chorus which, though predictable in terms of placement, actually swings just enough to change the feel of the song, which is testament to The Lounge Crusade’s musical calibre. I do feel, however, that the chorus is repeated too much at the end- an epic 48 bars-worth in fact. Though separated in the middle with handclaps and a cut in the piano melody, I don’t feel this is enough of a separation. This is my only criticism, though.
‘Dumb and Blind’ is a return to the melancholic melodies which this band seem to be so good at. The vocal harmonies throughout this track are spot-on and add a real sense of genuine emotion – not overly-gushing, but poignant emotion - a ‘Konstantine’ (Something Corporate) element. The piano takes more of a back seat in terms of rhythm, yet sits fairly forward in the mix, which is just enough to compliment the vocal harmonies and contribute to the melancholic mood of the song. Jason Parker’s use of the snare drum is particularly good in this track – the swelling use of dynamics in the repeated introduction melody purveys a sense of uncertainty, adding tension and contrasting well with the syncopated rhythms found which bolster the more definite choruses.
Finally, ‘In Time’ is a fantastic finale to a genuinely excellent demo. Its feel is assertive, and capitalises on the band’s creative use of vocal harmonies throughout. Without going into too much detail (I’d be repeating myself yet again), it is piano-driven, poignant in mood and perfectly executed musically, which sums up The Lounge Crusade.
The Lounge Crusade are a very tight musical unit and, should they continue to craft such compelling music, should see some deserved recognition come their way.
Phill.
|
||
|
|
|
|
This page was last updated Sunday, 04 April 2010
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Latest Additions |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||
  |
   
|
     |
  
|
  |
   |
|
|||||
© LincolnBands.co.uk 2004-2007