Somewhat Romance, Somewhat Poetry
Self-Released, 2020
8/10
Listen to Somewhat Romance, Somewhat Poetry
An exciting trio from Northern Virginia who embrace the best ideas from ‘80s and ‘90s guitar influenced rock, this first album from The Guilty Lenses touches on punk and alt-rock, while still being very capable of landing on the FM dial.
“5 Mins To Close” starts the listen vocally strong and bare as sparing guitar supports the vivid storytelling as the opener builds into a rhythmic rocker, and “On The Loose” follows with a rootsy flavor that flows alongside warm instrumentation.
There’s 15 tracks included on the album, and thankfully the vast talent of the band leave us interested for the entire journey, as “Better Love” shines with a ‘90s alt-rock spirit, while “Look Good” bounces with a playful approach that’s not short on melody and grit. “Recovery”, a particularly noteworthy track, then recruits a hypnotic beauty amid a dreamy landscape.
Further down the road, “Brave New World” finds itself in a tense and powerful climate with crunchy guitars, and deeper yet “Between The Paradise And The Sun” exits with a cautious strummer that could have been squeezed between a Live and Counting Crows video on 120 Minutes in 1993.
An impressive debut, there’s a glowing chemistry between the trio, and their keen sense of songwriting dynamics indicates much more greatness from The Guilty Lenses in the future.
Travels well with: Dizzy Box Nine- Radio Fiction; Midnight Shine- James Bay