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Lord
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Lord
Current price: $14.99
Barnes and Noble
Lord
Current price: $14.99
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Size: CD
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While lots of 2010s groups bring back the sounds of the '90s,
's debut album
actually sounds like a lost relic from that era. Where many of their shoegaze-reviving contemporaries update their approach with nods to electro-pop, the Seattle trio goes in the opposite direction. Instead of referencing
's
-- the holy grail of nu-gaze --
evoke its murkier, messier predecessor
on tracks like "Dead Head," which brings shoegaze's punk roots to the fore. Throughout
,
flash back to the grittier side of early shoegaze and '90s indie rock, recalling the work of luminaries like
and
as well as cult favorites like
, and
. Like all of those bands,
use a wide palette of guitar sounds, incorporating brisk strumming, stinging leads, and lots and lots of crunch into an equally heavy and ethereal sound; "Caught in a Dream" borders on thrash and gets a lot of its dream pop blur through sheer volume. Though they're considerably poppier than their compatriots
share a similar sense of unsettled Pacific Northwestern gloom, particularly on the churning "Dusted," where the choruses take a longer time to reveal themselves than elsewhere on
. Though
sometimes seem in danger of letting this gloom overwhelm their songs, the album becomes more accessible and accomplished as it unfolds.
's hazy vocals are a perfect fit on "In a Day," while "Past Year" could be from a slightly rough-around-the-edges
and "Come to Pass" is a hypnotic balance of swaying pop and buzzsaw guitars. A promising, enjoyable debut,
proves there's always room for revivalists when they sound as good as
does. ~ Heather Phares