Lennox - This Is What We're After
Monday, December 3, 2007
http://www.myspace.com/lennoxrock
B+
Lennox debut album This Is What We're After clocks in at just under 25 minutes, but that is not to say it is lacking. Those 25 minutes are filled with emotional rock music that makes me feel that Lennox is representing our artistic community with everything they've got. They show technical skill, creative writing and song structure, and most importantly, emotion throughout the album. Charles of Red Room 104 recorded, mixed, and mastered this album to "kick you in the teeth", and it does.
The first song is a short piece of material, nothing too fancy or technical going on. At first I was unsure of how strong that was, but after a few listens I would not have changed it for anything, it is a great example of what is to come. Immediately following is one of my personal favorites "Remembering", this song has everything one would expect from a hardcore band, a build up that rides the beat, intense vocals complete with harmonies, dynamic changes, guitar solos, the whole package. The anthem esque "Et Tu Brute" comes hard. The chorus of the song has a gang of people chanting "We never will, we never will!", and a guest female vocalist that fits right into the mix. Some people wouldn't call this style of music beautiful, but it is apparent that it can be during the bridge later in the song when her vocals are most apparent.
We are greeted with an short interlude after three strong tracks, the end of the interlude peaks my brain out with the final build up of backwards rhythms into drums into then song "Daylight Ruins". These next three songs are the most powerful on the album, and they seamlessly flow together as if it was one solid arrangement of music. Something I really enjoy and need to note is the lack of vocals here and there, to me this is a sign of band maturity. They do not have to have someone howling over every inch of every song, they understand that its also good to let the music ride. Towards the end of "Domeanum", Casey, the drummer, gets to unload on the drums and hearing it makes me very excited. He is an excellent drummer, knows when to hold the beat and knows when to throw down. Almost every time I listen to the album the last song sneaks up on me until I am in the thick of it. "Collars", probably my favorite song on the album, brings the energy full force, almost as if they have been building up to this climax the entire time. With crunching guitars, the enormous vocals, the solid rhythm section, it all fits together as if it belongs together which is all I ask for.
Alex, the lead singer/screamer, gives us a very passionate performance on this album. Casey not only destroys the drums, he hits the vocal harmonies throughout adding a pleasing dynamic to the raw power of the music. Both guitarists are right on point strategically playing off each other the entire time, and the bass keeps everyone together. For a debut album, This Is What We're After delivers. The emotion was captured and the current skill level of the members leads me to believe Lennox will continue to level up and make great music if they can continue to overcome the realities of working with a group of people all wearing their hearts on their sleeves.
- Bret Phillips
Labels: AlbumReviews
posted by Conqueror @ 12:00 PM,
