With a gritty, twinkly, super-melodic guitar intro, the first song from the new double single by Lavelles immediately commands your attention.
“And I Roll” is rough around the edges in almost every aspect, and that’s just the way we like it. The vocals of frontman, singer, and guitarist Lucien Koenig have a quality that feels like it falls somewhere between Jonathan Richman, Kurt Cobain, and Tom Petty, with maybe even a little bit of Ryan Jarman thrown in.
The guitars also borrow from Petty, but with an added nod to the early sound of indie rock giants R.E.M and overall something larger and dirtier that is hard to pin down. The contrast between the two styles (courtesy of the aforementioned Koenig and his guitar-slinging partner-in-crime Caden Valentine) makes for a compelling and rewarding listen.
The rhythm section – which is ably provided by Blake Levine (bass) and Griffin Lescher (drums) – serves the song perfectly and is the sturdy foundation on which the rest of the song is able to be built.
“And I Roll” is an unmitigated triumph. Stylistically, it is a bit all over the place, but we mean that in the best way possible. It’s not often we encounter music where the influences and resulting work are so fluid and intriguing.
Track 1 gives way to Track 2. “Funny” begins with a gentle electric guitar lick. The tone is clean and crystalline (at least compared to the majority of the guitars that preceded it), and the arrangement is sparse and striking.
With plenty of space to breathe, the song progresses at a pace that is obviously considered and careful. The melody and – at times – aspects of the vocal delivery remind us a little bit of The Pogues, if they were less folky and more indie. Or perhaps the work of Grian Chatten and Fontaines D.C. is a more accurate comparison. Whatever. What the vocal lacks in refinement and precision, it more than makes up for in character and feel.
What sounds like an organ of some kind stands out amongst the minimal musical landscape. It’s used tastefully and sparingly, and as the song progresses, the guitars develop to include shimmery, wet tones, as well as chords drenched in reverb, in addition to the sound that introduced us to the song at the outset.
“Funny” – in its stark relative simplicity – feels like the antithesis of the song that came before it, and – as a result – you can’t help but feel like this is a great choice of songs to have combined for a double single. An exciting glimpse into two very different sides of this promising young LA quartet.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
