Lilygun - the debut album.
It seems like an age ago that we first featured Lilygun, but looking back on it we were blown away by the bands ability to combine a technical approach with a mass appeal sound, resulting in something which will appeal to fans of all sorts of music. As a result of this sound, the band recently signed a deal with Cargo Records, meaning they’re now on the first rung of the ladder, heading towards getting the attention which they deserve. They were kind enough to whack me over a copy of their new album before I went away, so I took some serious time checking it out, listening to it over and over again, and really trying to break it apart in my mind. Whilst simple sounding at first, there’s a serious edge to things – but allow me to explain!
Sunlight Dream gets things going, immediately setting the tone with a rocky, blues like riff underpinned by a solid drumline and soaring lead guitar, the whole mix forming something which immediately grabs your attention and pulls you in. As the soft and melodic vocals are ushered in the mix continues to develop, forming into an almost Alice In Chains like sound, combining different levels of vocals with different backing elements, the tone roving between hard hitting and melodic intricacies. Couple these intricacies with a real sense of catchiness and power and what you’ve got is a sound which is going to appeal to the masses, a sound which is going to impact hard on those that hear it and a sound which is going to propel these guys into the limelight. Peace Of Mind follows much the same conventions, this time opening in a far more restrained manner to allow the different elements of the band to each have their own say in the mix, it’s a mix which allows you to hear everything and fully take it in. Catchy once again, this track marks a serious highpoint on the album, and a track which I wouldn’t be surprised to see coming out as a single.
My Ways slows everything down for a moment, pulling back from the powerful approach initially and simply offering up an acoustic guitar line accompanied by the soft and soothing vocal lines of Anna Christina. This contrast pushes this track to a whole new level, once again demonstrating the bands understanding of the more technical side of their sound, as well as how to organise the tracks on an album in order to gain maximum impact from them. Personally, this is one of my favourite tracks from the album, the track progressing from soft through to hard hitting and offering up a guitar solo of epic proportions, the whole mix forming a track which again, I wouldn’t be surprised to see as a single, it’s an incredibly accomplished piece of work and one which the band should be damn pleased with. Following on with Moonlight (see below), the album continues its melodic and powerful journey, moving on to Excuses to once again show of their more raucous side. Hard hitting from the word go, this track is a transportation back to the earlier moments of the album where the more rock orientated side of the band was on display. Still managing to combine their hard hitting approach with a real sense of melody, the dark and melodic approach of the track roves between grunge like guitar moments and more refined, laid back elements simply focusing on the soft and almost haunting vocal lines.
Following on with Conversations, the theme of technical ability continues, this time offering up an off piste guitar and drum combination combined with an almost spat vocal line. The chilled out approach combined with the technical side of the band once again stands this track out, almost showcasing the abilities within the band and showing that they’re not afraid to do their own thing, take their own path and explore their own means of creating music. Catchy once again, this is the sort of track which is going to realise its full potential on the live scene, crafting a sound which is going to satisfy the appetites of eager fans and convert new ones to the band. Once again contrasting things with the introduction of Scum, the sound reverts to a more laid back approach once again, accentuating the sound of the vocals with a soft and melodic guitar line. Despite this soft approach, there’s also a real sense of darkness flowing through the opening moments of this track, almost as if to show there’s a lot of anger built up in the introduction. As the track breaks and the chorus kicks in then the true power of the track is realised, once again offering us a catchy chorus underpinned by a real sense of a message, almost as if the band have used this track to say something they wanted to get across, and they’ve done it damned well.
Closing the album with Diamonds it’s almost as if the lovely people in Lilygun saved another high point for the final moments, closing as it began with a track which will stand out and connect with old and new fans alike. Soft as it opens, there’s a real sense that this is going to be a hard hitting track as it grows around you, the guitar urging you to listen harder whilst the mix builds up around it. The result, a track which is dark, haunting, melodic, powerful and once again, incredibly well accomplished. It’s hard to pick fault with a track this good, and as the album comes to a close there’s only one thought left – why isn’t there more to listen to?!
What’s most striking about the album from Lilygun is how they’ve combined a real sense of catchiness with their technical approach to things, combining their signature sound with an almost mainstream like quality, something which will stand them out as more than a simple rock band. This ability, and the resulting sound is what makes this such a stand out album, and one which I have a feeling is going to do remarkably well once it’s in the public domain from the 10th of September. If you only ever listen to one album we review, then make it this one – believe me when I say it’s worth your while!
I'm just gutted I missed them over the summer!
To find out more about Lilygun, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Sunlight Dream gets things going, immediately setting the tone with a rocky, blues like riff underpinned by a solid drumline and soaring lead guitar, the whole mix forming something which immediately grabs your attention and pulls you in. As the soft and melodic vocals are ushered in the mix continues to develop, forming into an almost Alice In Chains like sound, combining different levels of vocals with different backing elements, the tone roving between hard hitting and melodic intricacies. Couple these intricacies with a real sense of catchiness and power and what you’ve got is a sound which is going to appeal to the masses, a sound which is going to impact hard on those that hear it and a sound which is going to propel these guys into the limelight. Peace Of Mind follows much the same conventions, this time opening in a far more restrained manner to allow the different elements of the band to each have their own say in the mix, it’s a mix which allows you to hear everything and fully take it in. Catchy once again, this track marks a serious highpoint on the album, and a track which I wouldn’t be surprised to see coming out as a single.
My Ways slows everything down for a moment, pulling back from the powerful approach initially and simply offering up an acoustic guitar line accompanied by the soft and soothing vocal lines of Anna Christina. This contrast pushes this track to a whole new level, once again demonstrating the bands understanding of the more technical side of their sound, as well as how to organise the tracks on an album in order to gain maximum impact from them. Personally, this is one of my favourite tracks from the album, the track progressing from soft through to hard hitting and offering up a guitar solo of epic proportions, the whole mix forming a track which again, I wouldn’t be surprised to see as a single, it’s an incredibly accomplished piece of work and one which the band should be damn pleased with. Following on with Moonlight (see below), the album continues its melodic and powerful journey, moving on to Excuses to once again show of their more raucous side. Hard hitting from the word go, this track is a transportation back to the earlier moments of the album where the more rock orientated side of the band was on display. Still managing to combine their hard hitting approach with a real sense of melody, the dark and melodic approach of the track roves between grunge like guitar moments and more refined, laid back elements simply focusing on the soft and almost haunting vocal lines.
Following on with Conversations, the theme of technical ability continues, this time offering up an off piste guitar and drum combination combined with an almost spat vocal line. The chilled out approach combined with the technical side of the band once again stands this track out, almost showcasing the abilities within the band and showing that they’re not afraid to do their own thing, take their own path and explore their own means of creating music. Catchy once again, this is the sort of track which is going to realise its full potential on the live scene, crafting a sound which is going to satisfy the appetites of eager fans and convert new ones to the band. Once again contrasting things with the introduction of Scum, the sound reverts to a more laid back approach once again, accentuating the sound of the vocals with a soft and melodic guitar line. Despite this soft approach, there’s also a real sense of darkness flowing through the opening moments of this track, almost as if to show there’s a lot of anger built up in the introduction. As the track breaks and the chorus kicks in then the true power of the track is realised, once again offering us a catchy chorus underpinned by a real sense of a message, almost as if the band have used this track to say something they wanted to get across, and they’ve done it damned well.
Closing the album with Diamonds it’s almost as if the lovely people in Lilygun saved another high point for the final moments, closing as it began with a track which will stand out and connect with old and new fans alike. Soft as it opens, there’s a real sense that this is going to be a hard hitting track as it grows around you, the guitar urging you to listen harder whilst the mix builds up around it. The result, a track which is dark, haunting, melodic, powerful and once again, incredibly well accomplished. It’s hard to pick fault with a track this good, and as the album comes to a close there’s only one thought left – why isn’t there more to listen to?!
What’s most striking about the album from Lilygun is how they’ve combined a real sense of catchiness with their technical approach to things, combining their signature sound with an almost mainstream like quality, something which will stand them out as more than a simple rock band. This ability, and the resulting sound is what makes this such a stand out album, and one which I have a feeling is going to do remarkably well once it’s in the public domain from the 10th of September. If you only ever listen to one album we review, then make it this one – believe me when I say it’s worth your while!
I'm just gutted I missed them over the summer!
To find out more about Lilygun, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Lilygun
We were recently contacted by London based Lilygun, a band adhering to no rules and instead, basing their solid rock fuelled music around guitars, the theatrical upbringing of Anna-Christina and their intense and unpredictable outlook on things. Drawing influence from the likes of life, love, hate, politics, religion and alcohol, this promises to be a band you can’t afford to miss! They chucked us their track Moonlight, to see what we thought of things.
There’s something haunting about the opening of Moonlight, matching the title of the track in the initial sound as the soft vocals sooth over you, the backing music grows and the feeling of depth increases. Sounding like a hybrid of modern and old school rock, the depth which these guys have achieved is quite frankly astonishing, crafting a sound which is both soothing and powerful, mighty and somehow intricate – it’s a mix which is going to pull you in from the off. Throwing in elements to keep the track alive from synth to distorted guitar lines, it’s a constant barrage of different approaches throughout this track, all working together to form the over all sound and not allowing you a moment to question why – not that you need to. Honestly, I fail to come up with anything that I would change about this track, it’s perfect as far as I can make out……it’s just one of those tracks that immediately stands out as one which you know you’re going to like.
I remember being about 13 years old, cycling home in the dark and listening to Guns N Roses Estranged. There’s a moment on that track where the guitars take on an atmospheric tone and everything seems to calm and fade around you, almost enveloping you in serenity and making you feel that all that matters is you, the music, and what you can see – that’s what this track does. Lilygun have managed to craft a sound which combines rock and ambience, hard and soft, good and evil almost – and made it work. If there’s one band you go on to check out this week then make it these guys, as I can promise you’ll go back to them time and time again.
This is a band I WILL be checking out on my Summer tour….
To find out more about Lilygun, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
There’s something haunting about the opening of Moonlight, matching the title of the track in the initial sound as the soft vocals sooth over you, the backing music grows and the feeling of depth increases. Sounding like a hybrid of modern and old school rock, the depth which these guys have achieved is quite frankly astonishing, crafting a sound which is both soothing and powerful, mighty and somehow intricate – it’s a mix which is going to pull you in from the off. Throwing in elements to keep the track alive from synth to distorted guitar lines, it’s a constant barrage of different approaches throughout this track, all working together to form the over all sound and not allowing you a moment to question why – not that you need to. Honestly, I fail to come up with anything that I would change about this track, it’s perfect as far as I can make out……it’s just one of those tracks that immediately stands out as one which you know you’re going to like.
I remember being about 13 years old, cycling home in the dark and listening to Guns N Roses Estranged. There’s a moment on that track where the guitars take on an atmospheric tone and everything seems to calm and fade around you, almost enveloping you in serenity and making you feel that all that matters is you, the music, and what you can see – that’s what this track does. Lilygun have managed to craft a sound which combines rock and ambience, hard and soft, good and evil almost – and made it work. If there’s one band you go on to check out this week then make it these guys, as I can promise you’ll go back to them time and time again.
This is a band I WILL be checking out on my Summer tour….
To find out more about Lilygun, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls