Lubec– Nothing Is Enough! (The Acme Thunderer)
The highly stylized pop music of Lubec’s debut EP, Nothing is Enough!, relentlessly drives from hook to hook, moving from grand pop gesture to even grander pop gesture as each song progresses. The groups sound is heavily influenced by the proto-indie rock of 80s acts like The Smiths and The Cure, while combing their melodic croon with a more anthemic arena rock guitar attack that drives the band’s beat-heavy swing. The intoxicatingly retro “Your Magic Wand” is a blast of surf guitar and whirling keyboard, making you want to break out your leather jacket and/or poodle skirt and hit the sock hop, before it breaks into a bombastically noisy guitar assault. Lubec makes brilliantly layered pop music that drives consistently forward into bigger hooks and even bigger guitars.
Just Plain Ant – See What Eye See (justplainant.bandcamp.com)
Just Plain Ant’s third release of the year picks up where this summer’s Rumble Young Man, Rumble left off, delivering the Richmond native’s smooth, concise production with a more electronic twist. The album opens with the floating, atmospheric “All I Need (Happy in Three Four)”, a low end heavy groove consisting of bleeping synths and distorted percussion. It transports the listener into the sonic world of JPA with effortless funk and instant accessibility. The album features Ant’s usual crew of MCs and collaborators. Each shows their own growth since the last release, seeming to take on the introspective nature that flows throughout the LP. The remarkable “I’ll Be (feat. Samsun and Official Freeze)” is a deftly produced piece of futurist R&B, driven by an upright bass groove and carried by the Samsun’s sweet and melodic vocals. The presence of female vocalists Samsun and Caits Messner take Just Plain Ant’s music to another level, perfectly accenting his heavy jazz influenced production style. This style shines on See What Eye See, especially on instrumental tracks that make up the majority of the second half of the LP.
Lubec– Nothing Is Enough! (The Acme Thunderer)
The highly stylized pop music of Lubec’s debut EP, Nothing is Enough!, relentlessly drives from hook to hook, moving from grand pop gesture to even grander pop gesture as each song progresses. The groups sound is heavily influenced by the proto-indie rock of 80s acts like The Smiths and The Cure, while combing their melodic croon with a more anthemic arena rock guitar attack that drives the band’s beat-heavy swing. The intoxicatingly retro “Your Magic Wand” is a blast of surf guitar and whirling keyboard, making you want to break out your leather jacket and/or poodle skirt and hit the sock hop, before it breaks into a bombastically noisy guitar assault. Lubec makes brilliantly layered pop music that drives consistently forward into bigger hooks and even bigger guitars.
Just Plain Ant – See What Eye See (justplainant.bandcamp.com)
Just Plain Ant’s third release of the year picks up where this summer’s Rumble Young Man, Rumble left off, delivering the Richmond native’s smooth, concise production with a more electronic twist. The album opens with the floating, atmospheric “All I Need (Happy in Three Four)”, a low end heavy groove consisting of bleeping synths and distorted percussion. It transports the listener into the sonic world of JPA with effortless funk and instant accessibility. The album features Ant’s usual crew of MCs and collaborators. Each shows their own growth since the last release, seeming to take on the introspective nature that flows throughout the LP. The remarkable “I’ll Be (feat. Samsun and Official Freeze)” is a deftly produced piece of futurist R&B, driven by an upright bass groove and carried by the Samsun’s sweet and melodic vocals. The presence of female vocalists Samsun and Caits Messner take Just Plain Ant’s music to another level, perfectly accenting his heavy jazz influenced production style. This style shines on See What Eye See, especially on instrumental tracks that make up the majority of the second half of the LP.
