“An upbeat melange of shimmery vocals, multiple interlocking guitar parts, jaunty basslines and motorik-laden drums with a flourish of keys on the side set against themes touching on the anxiety of growing into your own.” That’s how Imitation Life, the full-length debut album by North Carolina five-piece Lauds, is aptly described in the accompanying press release. Listen to the opening sentences of 24 and you’ll immediately understand what is meant: “I wake up and taste the sun outside // Watch the desert // Fears to hide // Or drown, or fight, or feel, or hate, or say, or do, or hear.”
On the ten tracks here, the guitars jangle and haunt you to higher realms – the band does not shy away from means such as mesmerizing keyboard melodies, experimenting with soundscapes or a hair metal solo to enhance that effect (as recently noted, Siouxsie and the Banshees is experiencing a revival, and in this case too reference is made to the British shoegaze band). Four of the songs were already featured on the first two Lauds EPs (we wrote about II previously), below you can listen to three of the new tunes, all equally captivating. This record is somewhat dark, but also warm, dreamy and rich.
Lauds features Gavin Campbell, Boyce S. Evans, J Holt Evans III, James McKay Glasgow and Ross Page. Imitation Life is out now digitally and vinyl LP through Fort Lowell Records.
