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...And the consolation prize in the Michael Stipe sound-a-like
contest goes to………Lamexcuse! That's right
Bob, tell them what they've won! Well, I wouldn't want to attempt
to compare R.E.M. to Lamexcuse because they are on entirely
different planes of existence, but I can say that every now and
then lead singer/guitarist Tom Reiterer sounds similar
to a Michael Stipe who fell out of the indie pop tree and hit
all the branches on the way down.
Lamexcuse hails from Graz, Austria and is made up of three members,
Tom Reiterer on lead vocals and guitar, Reinhard Schilcher
on bass and Gerfried Brunner on drums. They came to the
US with an idea of what it is to make indie music, but fell short
in accomplishing that goal. Their indie pop style and tunes are
somewhat catchy and they have devised interesting enough lyrics,
but the main problem is they do not vary their style enough. It
seems like Tom only knows about 3 strum patterns and sticks with
one for an entire song. It becomes very apparent after listening
to the album two or three times because each song begins to sound
like the previous. One of the great things about truly good indie
music is the unique strumming, chord progressions, and variation
in tracks on a given album. Lamexcuse has some really great ideas
which unfortunately do not transform into great songs for this
purpose.
Generalizing the entire album as being bland wouldn't be entirely
true, either. There are a couple of tracks which really show that
Lamexcuse has some untapped talent that hopefully will shine through
in upcoming albums. Another giveaway is my favorite track on the
album, not because it is perfect, but because it is unique and
shows what the band is capable of. The track starts off with a
driving beat and is supported with very smooth keys and guitar.
The song fluctuates between minor keys and major keys in a very
satisfying way and exudes talent and style not found in most of
the other songs in the album.
I am confident that with a little bit of experience under their
belts, Lamexcuse will create a killer album, but they just aren't
there quite yet.
-Liger Woods
Track List:
1. Here 'til eight
2. Another giveaway
3. Diary
4. I have found you
5. Are you
6. Perfect night
7. Two windows
8. Yesterday's ditch
9. New Room
10. Sick
11. Leave the door open
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