New Lungs

Artist: 
Album Title: 
Lanterns
Release Date: 
Friday, December 28, 2012
Label: 
Review Type: 

The EP by this Seattle based quartet came to us accompanied only by a calling card with some contact info, and I regret to say that the websites mentioned didn't offer a lot of background on the band either.

So here's what I dó know, the band's current line-up consists of singer/ guitarist Wes Gonzales, guitarist/ singer Antoine Martel, singer/ bassist Nick Emard (I am quite uncertain as to whether Nick or Wes performs the lead vocals, or whether they change leads depending on the song they play), and drummer Rob Granfelt. Prior to the release of the EP, the band already issued the single “A Wallflower (The Price Of Being)”, which was culled from the EP, and released 14 days earlier. Almost a year to the day earlier, namely on Dec. 13, 2011, the band released its debut 3-track EP How To Operate Your Brain, which was apparently only made available through digital download and on cassette.

The music the quartet makes is an overall calmer Alternative Rock with experimental and progressive leanings, but all songs but one (the song “New Lungs”) also have slightly more explosive passages (let's not exaggerate as to its intensities, though). You can listen to all songs off this and the band's first EP at Bandcamp. A link to get there can be found at (www.) facebook.com/NewLungsMusic, where you will also be told that bands NL is also in include The Lonely Forest, The Globes, Special Explosion, Postmadonna, Ever So Android, and Dear Mister Manager. If you know any or all of those, you must be into a very specific kind of music, because I actually never heard of any of the aforementioned. The only thing I can compare this to, is a specific Post-Hardcore sub-genre from the early '90s era in the Chicago area, when loads of bands went down on the aggression and distortion thing to make for more arty kinds of music making. Takes some sessions to get used to, but for those with enough patience, the outcome will be rewarding indeed!

89/100