Boston-based rockers Lansdowne have been paying their dues for over fifteen years with extensive touring and have a large online following for their brand of hard rock.
The new album is actually a compilation with a number of tracks from their tasty Blue Collar Revolver release from 2011 and numerous singles and EPs since then. Interestingly, although not in chronological order, this album is coherent and the selected tracks form a great starting point if you haven’t heard them before. There are a couple of new tracks too if you have heard them before.
One of two new songs is the title track which gives a taste of how they can take disparate rock constructs and combine them into a clever whole… you’ll hear alt-rock, rock, grunge and pop swimming around the excellent riffs and vocals. The second new song, ‘Halo’ follows a similar template but with added rock in the main riff and soaring vocals. The older tracks, such as ‘Burn Brighter’ and ‘One Shot’ pop more cherries than a certain band and ‘Watch Me Burn’ has heavy, arena rock running through its melodic, chorus-led base. ‘Savage’ will lull you with a phased vocal over keys before the staccato riff, and catchy chorus will have you singing and air-guitar-ing along. If you want a power ballad with a Heep-esque opening, then ‘Open Your Eyes’ fits that bill: or an industrial-tinged, sing-a-long? The nicely named ‘Filthy’ awaits. Closer, ‘Numb’ adds metal and funk to the menu.
A diverse and likeable album that accurately traces the band’s development and growth…comparisons will be inevitable when you first listen, but that diversity means there is much to savour on subsequent listens.
Medicine is out on 3rd February via AFM.
