 Len's
Lounge
"String Band" CD
3rd
Silo Records
Genres: country, country-folk, bluegrass
3rd Silo
PO Box 30030
Cincinnati, OH
45230
Apr 14 - 20 2003 |
It's
called String Band because all of the instruments on it, save
the drums, are string instruments. Guitar, bass, banjo,
mandolin, violin... there's a whole smorgasbord of strings that are plucked and rubbed
on this album. Len's Lounge play very solid,
catchy country songs that boast a nice blend of both the old-timey and
the more modern, upbeat country styles.
"Soul
Sucker" is a particularly memorable track; its solid chorus is
one that will get you humming along upon first listen. "West of
the Wabash," meanwhile, is a bittersweet, forlorn piece with an
elegant, endearing mood. "Miranda," on the other hand, is a bit
of a bland track, and "Simple Song" ends up becoming tedious after multiple
listens, but could be fixed with a bit more focus put on the nearly
inaudible violin part.
Len's Lounge's music is a very nice brand of country, and String
Band shows off the band's fantastic performing and songwriting talents
well. The majority of the songs on this album are real
winners, with a terrific western feel that should appeal to country
and bluegrass fans everywhere. The only problem is that some
tracks can drag a bit with repeated listens, and this ruins the disc's flow (an example is "Miranda," which can become
quite monotonous.) Improving the flow by paring down some of the
less spectacular tracks will help the band on their next effort.
Overall, this is a very solid country release that boasts a lot of
positive elements. If you enjoy country music, or are just a
newbie who's looking to explore the modern scene, Len's Lounge's
String Band will doubtlessly make a worthy purchase.
86%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
11 songs, distributed by the
label, released 2002] |
