Lapis Lazuli
We were recently contacted by Canterbury based Lapis Lazuli to see what we thought about the music they’re producing. With a sound described as Fusion/Funk/World/Prog/Psy, one thing is for sure – there’s going to be a hell of a mix going on here! Due to be releasing a double debut album on the 26th of July, the band have already received critical acclaim from the press, and this is before them setting out on their European Tour. As such, we thought it was about time we check out what was on offer!
Opening with Big Bird we’re thrown into a disturbing pit of laughter, eerie backing sounds and the sense that this is going to be a dark old ride. Moving away from this dark and ominous sound, suddenly everything fades out to a far more upbeat and jumpy tempo, showing off the funk side of the music from the off and forming a sound which is sure to get people moving. What’s most striking here is the different elements which the band has incorporated into their sound, featuring a brass section, pumping jazz style guitar sounds, pounding yet rhythmic drums and a smooth and articulate vocal line, backed up throughout by a roving, almost walking bass line. The funky undertones which are produced as a result of all of these elements is one which is impossible to resist, one which is going to lift your spirits, make the sun come out and put you in a good mood for the remainder of the day, a great start to things.
High Hopes follows on and continues this upbeat and energetic tempo, keeping things moving from the minute the track gets going and leading us into another melee of carefully formed funky sounds. Demonstrating their understanding of music there’s more to this track than first meets the eye, throwing down into a syncopated mixture of wah tinged guitar lines, soaring brass elements and more of those incredible drums, the whole mix forming the sort of sound that’s going to become a soundtrack for your day, almost the sort of thing which brings up images of wandering around and having a damned good time with friends. Hot Water On A Dirty Face comes up next and seems to mark a slight change in the progression of the album, slowing everything down to a more atmospheric jazz style opening and leading us into a sound which is simply going to get you sitting back and listening. Harking back to the more psychedelic sounds we’d expect from the 60’s, there’s a sound here which is calming and reflective, the sort of thing which evokes images of days gone by, brings back memories and leaves you gasping for another hit of their stuff. The calm and reflective approach comes almost as a shock after the more upbeat stuff which has come before, yet shows that we’re dealing with a band here who understand music, understand their instruments and understand what they’re doing.
Closing the selection with Que Tucas Mi Ognat there’s one last display of this musical ability to behold, opening with a symphonic style opening before moving into another upbeat and almost folk inspired combination of different elements. The march like tempo of this track sets it apart from the rest of the tracks as it comes almost as a straight down the line track, moving away from the fun side and showing off the more serious abilities of the band. Putting a track like this into words is hard, so you’ve got to imagine a ‘cha cha cha’ style track, and you’re getting close to what you’ve got here. As regards a final track from a selection I think it works as it leaves you wondering what’s going to come after this!
I wasn’t sure about Lapis Lazuli when I first head their first track, but over time, listening to the tracks over and over again I’ve come to actually really enjoy it. The music isn’t pretentious or over the top, instead relying on musical ability to lead the way and do the talking rather than an over the top ‘look at us’ type affair. In short, what you’ve got here is a band who know what they’re doing and can do it damned well, one to look out for I reckon.;
To find out more about Lapis Lazuli, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Big Bird we’re thrown into a disturbing pit of laughter, eerie backing sounds and the sense that this is going to be a dark old ride. Moving away from this dark and ominous sound, suddenly everything fades out to a far more upbeat and jumpy tempo, showing off the funk side of the music from the off and forming a sound which is sure to get people moving. What’s most striking here is the different elements which the band has incorporated into their sound, featuring a brass section, pumping jazz style guitar sounds, pounding yet rhythmic drums and a smooth and articulate vocal line, backed up throughout by a roving, almost walking bass line. The funky undertones which are produced as a result of all of these elements is one which is impossible to resist, one which is going to lift your spirits, make the sun come out and put you in a good mood for the remainder of the day, a great start to things.
High Hopes follows on and continues this upbeat and energetic tempo, keeping things moving from the minute the track gets going and leading us into another melee of carefully formed funky sounds. Demonstrating their understanding of music there’s more to this track than first meets the eye, throwing down into a syncopated mixture of wah tinged guitar lines, soaring brass elements and more of those incredible drums, the whole mix forming the sort of sound that’s going to become a soundtrack for your day, almost the sort of thing which brings up images of wandering around and having a damned good time with friends. Hot Water On A Dirty Face comes up next and seems to mark a slight change in the progression of the album, slowing everything down to a more atmospheric jazz style opening and leading us into a sound which is simply going to get you sitting back and listening. Harking back to the more psychedelic sounds we’d expect from the 60’s, there’s a sound here which is calming and reflective, the sort of thing which evokes images of days gone by, brings back memories and leaves you gasping for another hit of their stuff. The calm and reflective approach comes almost as a shock after the more upbeat stuff which has come before, yet shows that we’re dealing with a band here who understand music, understand their instruments and understand what they’re doing.
Closing the selection with Que Tucas Mi Ognat there’s one last display of this musical ability to behold, opening with a symphonic style opening before moving into another upbeat and almost folk inspired combination of different elements. The march like tempo of this track sets it apart from the rest of the tracks as it comes almost as a straight down the line track, moving away from the fun side and showing off the more serious abilities of the band. Putting a track like this into words is hard, so you’ve got to imagine a ‘cha cha cha’ style track, and you’re getting close to what you’ve got here. As regards a final track from a selection I think it works as it leaves you wondering what’s going to come after this!
I wasn’t sure about Lapis Lazuli when I first head their first track, but over time, listening to the tracks over and over again I’ve come to actually really enjoy it. The music isn’t pretentious or over the top, instead relying on musical ability to lead the way and do the talking rather than an over the top ‘look at us’ type affair. In short, what you’ve got here is a band who know what they’re doing and can do it damned well, one to look out for I reckon.;
To find out more about Lapis Lazuli, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls