Droning Radiohead influence intertwines with gentle, violin-spiced dissonance throughout Lionlimb’s “Tape Recorder” album.
I’m a sucker for anything rock-leaning with violins in it, and much like my current fascination “Little Tybee,” the many incorporated elements in Lionlimb’s songs combine to beautiful effect.
Unlike Little Tybee, Lionlimb drift further out from major scales to satisfy our need for musical discomfort. The album’s first track “Clover” proves this quite clearly – going full-on Gentle Giant in its Baroque bout of madness towards the end.
Madness verges on malice nearing the end of “Maria.” A single key sets to chime like church bells in a chill. There’s a desolate dimension to the band’s music that gives it all a Tim Burton-styled darkness.
Droning Radiohead influence intertwines with gentle, violin-spiced dissonance throughout…
“Star Mangled,” in particular, instantly brings to mind a tune entitled “Patient is the Night” composed for mini-series Over the Garden Wall. Both are mellow with melancholy and a nearly meditative delight to listen to.
The album’s titular track “Tape Recorder” is a solemn, piano-driven piece. The vocalist, by now familiar, breathes over the ballad, at times immersed in a sorrowful cloud of string portamento. All in all, there’s a Dustin O’ Halloran feel to it. At least, right up until it breaks off into a gallop of howling rhythm.
“Swallow’s Song” is a bit too challenging for my taste – taking the experimental facet of the album’s sound up another notch. It plays like ghost music up until the end, where it does an about face into a more straightforward classical arrangement blanketed over rhythmic stabs as sharp as chip-tunes.
“Velvet” wraps the album up with martial energy. It’s big and bold as a marching band up to the halfway point, where it breaks down to a quieter, more unsettling composition before blowing away in a breeze of muted horns.
“Tape Recorder” is a neat and extremely interesting album to experience. It’s likely to be quite unlike anything you’ve ever listened to – shimmering with nuanced note choices and a delicate balance of melancholy. What are your thoughts?