Dublin locals, A Lazarus Soul are definitely not getting the attention they deserve. I remember thinking that after seeing them by accident last year, when they supported Ham Sandwich in the Village. Made up of lead singer / songwriter Brian Brannigan and drummer Fin O’ Leary and completed by Joey, Bryan and Tony from The Future Kings of Spain. Several months on and I still haven’t heard much from them so I decided it was time to do a MySpace Review and see why people weren’t taking about them.
As usual, I haven’t heard their album but I have seen them live (which is fine by the rules).
Try to imagine Morrissey singing for Joy Division. Now imagine a Dublin band doing it, and doing it pretty well. While the sound of first song Icon may not be the most unique or original, it is good. We’ve seen the horror’s of bands trying to sound retro and ‘push the boundaries’ by mixing old styles together and insisting on recording their (and I use this term loosely) songs. So why not excuse one of the bands that take an old style and make it fresh again? Icon’s dark lyrics and musical styles paint a bleak picture. Musically, the song jumps between quiet and composed beating versus before the trade mark Joey Wilson guitar jumps in to turn the songs direction around. Not a bad start.
The Day Harry Left changes the tone with more of a sombre arrangement. Quiet guitar melodies and a beating bass keep a less imposing track going. Lyrically, the song is harking back to better times before the so called ‘Harry’ left for England, ending up with the narrator finding a new happiness without Harry. Nice, different, what’s next.
Srk starts off a little slowly and brings to mind a lot of previous songs. This time it’s more along the lines of New Order. The bridges and verses follow a similar tone to the previous tracks but don’t carry the same weight. It also moves very slowly and doesn’t boost any majorly interesting characteristics or changes.
Only Say The Word is last, and while it may not be as good as Icon or The Day Harry Left, it does bring an interest back to the group. Quiet and composed as always, the song opens with echoey snths’s before Brian’s vocals and the rest of the band kick in. Once again, the Verse lacks much f a kick but more prominent guitars and drums keep a steady beat going. Lyrically the song is one of the best. A Lazarus Soul may have more high notes thrown in than the previous tracks but its as dark as anything they have here.
I’m sorry for the lack of enthusiasm in today’s review, Tickets There is still pretty hung-over from the last two nights, but I can recommend A Lazarus Soul if your in a quiet, semi-morbid mood. Not sure they have the gist in them to take over the world but they have enough to keep you listening.
Check out their MySpace below,..
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